Bond of Blood
by The MOUSE
Summary: STRONG LANGUAGE - Five years have passed since the Shikon no Tama has been restored and hidden from the world. Kagome, defying her Okaasan's strict orders, has returned to Sengoku Jedai to the place and person where her heart demanded she return to.
1. Part 1

8 September 2003

A very heartfelt arigatou to Logan Kale to all his tireless help with getting me through my walls (literally) in writing this fic. Most of this story would have never been written without your cracking of the whip, biting of my shoulder, and constant growls in the background.

If ever a better inspiration of Inuyasha existed I haven't met him yet

Domo Arigatou!!!

Souto, Houshi, Bouzo - monk ---- Kami - God ---- Otouto - younger Brother ---- Aisai - beloved wife ---- Untenshi - mate ---- Onna - woman ---- Hanshu - General ---- Aniyome -Sister-in-Law ---- Osanago - little child ---- Hanyou - half demon ---- Youkai - demon ---- Iie - no ---- Oniisan, Nii-chan - older brother ---- Onesan - older sister ---- Hai - yes ---- Onegai - please ---- Demo - but ---- Gomen nasai - forgive me ---- Gomen ne - sorry ---- Sayonara - goodbye ---- Nani - what ---- Mou - sound accompanying a pout ---- Arigatou - thanks, thank you ---- Oi, Ooi - hey ---- Ne - right, hey ---- Ohayo - hello, hi ---- Matte - wait ---- Ihyou - surprise ---- Honto - really ---- Reijin - beautiful woman ---- Shan - beautiful ---- Koi - love ---- Koishii - beloved ---- Sugoi - amazing ---- Koibito - lover ---- Anchi - disliked person ---- Aishiteru - I love you ---- Baka - idiot ---- Ja-ku - jerk ---- Jinkouteki - unnatural ---- Ikeike - bitch ---- Kokuhyou - Hell ---- Kaibutsu - monsters ---- Shimatta - damn it ---- Seppuku - suicide ---- Chikushou - damn ---- Hentai - sexual, sex obsessed ---- Oushikuso - bullshit ---- Kuso - shit ---- Teishu - master ---- Kobushi - feudal warrior ---- Domo Arigatou - thank you very much ---- Dorei - slave ---- Hi-Nezumi - fire rat ---- Haori - formal coat ---- Hakama - formal shirt ---- Taiji - exterminator, extermination ---- Hiretsukan - bastard ---- Shatei - my younger brother ---- Tanechigai - half brother ---- Ojiisan, Jii-san, Jii-chan - grandfather ---- Odoufa - spell scroll ---- Obocchan - son ---- Otome - daughter ---- Otousan, Tou-san - father ---- Okaasan, Kaa-san – mother

**Bond of Blood**

Written by : The MOUSE

Co-written by : Logan Kale

The darkest of moonless nights draped over Musashi Country, broken only by a smattering of bright stars. Suddenly, the flash of cloudless lightening rendered the night from the depths of a well protruding from the center of a field. It was only a blink, and then darkness returned.

Again it flashed, longer this time.

And again.

Finally a bubble of bright light appeared to cover the well's opening. The center of this bubble darkened as it pulsed slowly until a dark gaping maw was left opened there, crackling with energy. It hung there, immobile, silent, before a rush of wind burst through the bubble. Something was forcing its way through.

Emerging as if from a murky womb, a creature of nightmare took its first insect-like steps into this new world. Its hard armor glistened in the dim night barely hiding the moist and pulsing flesh beneath it, its long tail swaying to and fro in search of a prey to strike. An ooze-like clear itchor dripped from breaks in its armor. Pincer-like claws snapped shut occasionally as blood-red eyes surveyed a virgin land, seeing lights on the distance. It moved forward with a light clicking of pointed legs on the hard ground, each insect joint cricking with every move. A sinister snarl hissed from a hideous mouth and it turned to see more of its kind wriggle free of the tear in space.

"I ssmell fressh prey."

Night hung over the land serenaded by the quite sounds of crickets and the occasional rustle of leaves on the wind. A full moon hovered high in the star-studded sky, a pale face casting silver light to see by. In the distance one could barely make out the sounds of eternally busy Tokyo with it's millions of vehicles and billions of people. The horizon was lit with the never-ending sunset that was Tokyo's lights. But deep in the heart of Tokyo, tucked away within high walls and natural sound barriers of high trees and bamboo, the ancient Higurashi Shrine was immune to much of the hustle and bustle and bright lights that was Japan's metropolis.

Higurashi Kagome, Magomusume to the shrine's elder monk, sat beneath the immense and aged Go-Shin-Boku, enjoying the night and lost in her thoughts. It had been over five years, five whole long years, since she had last experienced the adventure of a lifetime. Simply by dropping through an old dried out well, known as the Hone Kui no Ido, at the heart of the shrine she had traveled back in time, back to Feudal Japan; a simple time where magic and fanciful creatures abound, a time where nightmare and legends met.

A place where she lost her heart.

She closed her eyes as the memory of the amber-eyed half demon appeared before her mind's eye. The memory was so strong that she could almost feel the softness of his long silver hair between her fingers and the feel of the downy fur of his high, dog-like ears. She could almost feel the strength of his arms wrapped around her protectively, possessively. The earthy forest scent of the shrine only enhanced the recollection so much the scent was like his.

Inuyasha.

How she missed him terribly.

The moment the Skikon no Tama had being brought back together Kagome had offered it to Inuyasha to make his wish. If he was full youkai or full human, it didn't matter. He would always be Inuyasha to her. And when Kikyou had appeared, waiting on his wish at well, the look he gave both women had caused her heart to skip a beat. The look to Kikyou was almost like a farewell. The look he gave Kagome very nearly melted her from its silent promise. And then he had wished. His words would be forever ingrained in her mind and heart.

"I wish for Kikyou spirit to finally be at rest."

Kikyou had made a sound akin to both disbelief and gratification. The Miko's form had wavered, then faded from sight, the word _arigatou_ floating on the wind. It was then and there that Kagome had realized something about the hanyou. After all the battles and pain they had endured, they had remained the most faithful of friends. And, along the way, they had both discovered how much they truly meant to each other. Kikyou and the promise that bound him to her had been the only obstacles. Now there was nothing holding him back.

Except that Kagome had to return to her time.

She remembered the hurt she had seen flash in his eyes when she had told him she had to go back. That alone had hurt Kagome more that the fights and the falls she had lived through. Despite his often brash, possessive, and sometimes rude behavior towards her, he had been far too sweet to and protective of her that the tears had come unbidden to her eyes and she had buried her face in his haori to hide them, knowing how much he hated to see her cry. Their last kiss, their first truly real kiss that hadn't taken place because one of their lives was in danger, had lingered for what seemed an eternity.

And then she left.

Kagome opened her eyes, finding herself cold and alone at the base of the Sacred Tree, her heart aching. She stood, examining the ancient bark carefully. Almost a meter above her head she could see the marks arrows had left so long ago, nearly five hundred years now. She reached up and laid her hand flat amongst the marks, her cheek to the rough bark. Carefully recalling the powers she had inherited from the Shikon no Tama, making her a full Miko in the blink of an eye, she let her enhanced senses brush along that area beneath her hand. There was only a faint aura, a brief tingling along her senses of who had once been there.

"Inuyasha…" she breathed to the night, a silent tear falling from her eye.

"Kagome! Your breakfast is getting cold!" Higurashi Jii-chan, the shrine's old monk, called down the main house's hallway.

With slow and unhurried steps, the young woman made her way to the dining area, her heart still heavy from the memories of the night before. She sighed heavily as she kneeled at her usual place at the table. Busy in the kitchen, Kagome's Mama was unable to see her downhearted expression. Of course, that had been the norm since Kagome had returned from the Sengoku Jidai. She hadn't wanted to see her Otome's expression for fear of letting go. A good number of fresh bruises had decorated Kagome's body along with new scars from the final battle. No matter how supportive her Mama had been of her spending so much time in the past and of her growing affection for the hanyou, those last injuries had been the drop to spill the bucket of her tolerance. The Hone Kui no Ido was now off limits no matter what the circumstance.

Kagome's younger Otouto, Souta, could care less what his onesan's mood was. She had too many mood swings in one day to make a case over any of them. True, he missed the frequent visits Inuyasha made to their time to see his Onesan, but Mama's word was law in this house.

Higurashi Jii-chan noticed his Magomusume's depression and he shook his head sadly. He had seen it progress over the last five years since her return from the past. Leaving that world had broken her heart, but her Mama had forbidden her to return there once she had seen her wounds and had heard of the dangers Kagome had faced. She had made her Otome swear never to go back and Kagome abided by the promise, no matter how much anguish it caused. The moment she had made her vow, he had made a vow of his own to be more sedate and understanding. He knew he had been a little over the top for the last few decades. He had to tone down for her sanity's sake. And, despite that Inuyasha was part demon and that he, as a priest sworn to battle demons and eliminate them, Kagome cared deeply for the half-youkai.

He would respect that.

Quietly he knelt across from his Magomusume and watched her poke absently at her breakfast with her chopsticks.

"Kagome…?" he probed gently.

She met his wise old eyes.

"You miss him, don't you?"

Her eyes dropped away quickly, tears threatening to spill.

"I made a promise, Jii-chan."

"A promise made to a fearful Mama. Demo didn't you say the danger was gone now, that it was defeated?"

Her voice quivered.

"Hai."

"Then surely your Mama will release you from your promise. If not I will have to speak with her."

"Iie, Jii-chan, a promise is a promise, not matter when it was made. Mama was right back then. I have to live in the present. My life and future start here."

The old monk snorted.

"Lives are started at any moment in time. A person's future can be tied to the past."

Tears threatened to form in her eyes.

"Jii-chan, onegai…"

"Kagome, I don't like seeing you so depressed."

"I'll… I'll get over it."

"Iie, you won't. You won't be happy again until you're where your heart is calling you to be."

He moved to sit at her side and gently patted her hand.

"You're still young, Kagome. You shouldn't have to feel such pain. It is clear how much you want to go back… to him."

"Mama will never let me go."

"She is like the mighty oak laden with acorns. She holds on to those seeds very tightly, not wanting to let go. Demo eventually, for those seeds to grow like her, strong and independent, she has to let go."

Kagome sucked in a shaky breath and raised baleful eyes to the old monk.

"I'm afraid he won't forgive me for being away so long."

He patted her head gently with a reassuring smile.

"Believe me, child. He will be more that overjoyed to see you again."

"How can you be so sure?"

"When you've lived as long as I have, you learn to see things. He built up strong walls during his life, but the roots of his heart snaked through the cracks. Oh, he tried to stop it. I saw how he held you at arm's length. He had to be tough, strong. He had no time for affection. But in the end, as it always happens, he stopped fighting it and accepted that he is in love with you, completely and totally."

Kagome looked down at her hands.

"I so want to go back to him…"

"Demo…?"

"Demo what about you and Mama and Souta? About my life here? Can I really leave all that behind?"

"The only one who can answer that question is you, Kagome. All I can say is think hard and long and good luck with whatever your decision will be."

With a few quick pen strokes her letter was complete. She stuffed it into the envelope she labeled with her Mama's name, and then went back to finishing her packing. Kagome only needed a few items, replacement clothing for maybe a few days until she got used to everything again and definitely a sleeping bag. The nights often got cold in the Sengoku Jidai. Fires had a tendency to die out and there was no heater to continue the comfortable warmth.

This decision had hit her shortly after she had taken her evening bath. Soaking in silence and just staring at the ceiling through the steam had really helped her think. Her Jii-chan had been right. Souta would still be there to take care of her Mama and Jii-chan. Her studies were as complete as they were ever going to get. Nothing was really holding her back.

She had to go back to Feudal Japan.

She had to go back to Inuyasha.

Despite everything, her friends, her family, she had only really truly been happy when she had been in the past. Everything had been so simple then... sort of. She smirked as she remembered the verbal battles she had with the hanyou. They were often vicious and ending when she subdued him with the Nenju necklace. But she knew that the only reason he argued with her was because he cared. And she knew no matter where she went she would always be welcome from village to village. Had she not helped save that time… twice!

Kagome hurriedly listed off the items she had packed in her mind, nodded to herself in approval, then quickly changed out of her night clothes to something more appropriate to travel in: a pair of comfortable jeans and a warm sweater over a T-shirt. She then slung her small duffle bag over her shoulder, grabbed the letter to her Mama, then began the difficult task of creeping out of the house. Buildings within Sacred Shrines were almost always built of wood and bamboo with stone enceinte walls, so floors creaked and cracked loudly when one walked on them. This was the challenge that Kagome encountered, finding the "sweet spots" on the floors to not alert the other residents of the house of her departure.

It took her several minutes to make it the four meters to the door to her Mama's bedroom where she carefully slipped the letter beneath the door. From there she risked moving a little faster towards the exit, but still it took her long minutes more. She made it there without making too much noise and quickly stepped outside. Only there did she take the time to put on her shoes to make the dash to the building that housed the Hone Kui no Ido, an old dried up well that contained ancient magic and was the portal to the past. Her heart began to pound excitedly at the prospects of going back to a land and time she loved so much, to the one being who could take her breath away with a simple look.

"_Kagome!_"

The call nearly caused her to stumble. Whirling around the girl saw her Mama in a dressing gown standing in the doorway to the house. The letter was held clutched in her hand, a terrified look on her face. Kagome didn't waste time, merely turned around again and continued her run to the Hone Kui no Ido. If she could reach the well before her Mama got to her then everything would be okay. She raced through the doors and leapt down the stairs to the edge of the well where she threw off the cover with a strength and speed she didn't think she possessed. She stood on the edge just as he Mama raced through the door.

"Kagome! Iie!" she cried out desperately.

Kagome held perfectly still, staring down into the well's darkness. Then, carefully, she turned to face her Mama.

"Don't move, sweetie! Onegani, don't move!"

The girl's face was stoic.

"Gomen ne, Mama."

Her voice was even and perfectly calm.

"Nani? Why?"

"I have to go back there."

"Iie! You can't!"

"I have to, Mama."

"Why? Why is it so important that you go back? Why can't you stay here?"

"I'm not happy here, Mama. I can't be happy here."

"Why?"

Tears were streaming from her eyes now as she pleaded with her Otome.

"What's back there?"

Kagome smiled enigmatically.

"The man I love. Sayonara."

The move was almost imperceptible. She pushed back onto her heels and let herself fall into the pitch darkness of the well; confident her landing on the other side of time would be a soft one. She faintly heard her Mama call out to her in fear, but the voice faded away as Kagome's fall slowed. The limbo had caught her and she was now coasting down on eddies of time and magic. When Kagome felt her feet touch the bottom of the well, her eyes snapped shut, almost afraid that the magic hadn't worked and hadn't brought her back to Musashi Country. Tentatively she looked up and opened her eyes. Instead of the roof of the sanctuary, a multitude of clear bright stars met her eyes.

A strange scent wafted to her nose, halfway between sweet and rotten, and she looked around the bottom of the Hone Kui no Ido. The dirt and stone walls were almost slick with some sort of strange ooze that dripped heavily in large noise globs. Strange pieces of hard matter looking like curved plates or pieces of pottery crackled and crunched beneath her shoes. The feeling reminded her of dried eggshells.

What had happened to the well?

She resolved herself to question her friends in the village and began the now more difficult and certainly disgusting task of climbing out of the well. Ooze dripped onto her fingers and coated the front of her sweater mercilessly. Kagome pushed the experience out of her mind and concentrated on the faces of her friends in her mind. She was anxious to see her friends again, more so to see her beloved hanyou. Mildly she wondered if he had changed much over the last five years. She also wondered what he would think of her toned physique. It was something she had decided on shortly after returning home. Inuyasha had teased her so many times about how weak she was and she had resolved herself to never be that way again.

A faint acrid smell wafted on the breeze and down the well to her. Kagome paused. It smelled like burning wood. Was someone camping nearby?

With a little more caution and a heavy dose of curiosity she crawled up the rest of the way and peered over the edge. The wide-open field was empty, bathed in the light of the moon's unblinking eye. She pushed herself up over the edge, continuing to look around. The smell was stronger now. She turned in place to see the horizon towards the village and gasped.

The sky there was various hues of red and orange, thick black smoke spiraling to the heavens.

Kagome ignored the growing fear in the pit of her stomach, her feet already carrying her at a frenetic pace towards the ridge overlooking the riverside village. She had to know.

Were her friends alive?

Had the village been attacked?

Who had attacked?

_Shimatta__, this was supposed to be a peaceful homecoming,_ she ground fiercely.

She got to the top of the rise and froze in horror. The village was completely engulfed in flames, huts razed to the ground, the faint silhouettes of bodies and parts strewn here and there.

This _had_ been an attack!

The bitter taste of fear rose like bile in her throat when she realized nothing moved within the ruins. She imagined the worst, seeing the faces of her friends flash before her eyes, all of them dead. She was running again, down to the village to set her fears to rest, or break her heart.

Inuyasha…

The small bridge across the stream had been destroyed, leaving her with the only option being to wade through the shallow waters. The first sight that greeted her eyes on the other shore was the severed arm of some poor villager. She frowned at it. She had been in too many battles in this world to be disgusted by a limb, but there was something odd about the marking along the flesh. They almost looked to be…

She gasped.

"Oh, Kami, they're bite marks!"

For the briefest of moments she thought maybe Inuyasha had gone into a demon-rage and caused all this, but the more she looked at the marks the more she realized they were far too large to have been made by the hanyou's mouth. She had seen him bite before. His were clean and usually around the throat. The dog demon would have never bothered with an arm since it didn't guarantee a clean kill and there wouldn't have been the scuffs all around the bite.

What were those scuffs from?

She blinked at herself.

_Okay, Sherlock, you have a tiny piece of a mystery. Look for more clues._

She grunted with a slight shake of her head.

My future job options never included morgue pathologist.

Kagome swallowed heavily, bracing herself for the sights that were about to greet her eyes. The smoke was so think in the air that her eyes watered, her throat stinging painfully. She passed between burning huts, looking at partial and whole bodies as she went, thankfully not recognizing the faces, but offering prayers for the dead as she passed. Then she heard it, just over the dull roar of the flames. Something was tearing away at flesh and breaking bones. Kagome froze, ducking behind a surviving hut wall. She crawled forward silently to peer at whatever was ahead. She swallowed her gasp to keep silent. Ahead, its back to her as it continued to hunch over the hapless corpse before it, was a creature of nightmare, a thing from some sort of experiment gone horribly wrong.

It had the body of a black scorpion, its long tail curled in on itself as it crouched there, but what jutted out where the scorpion's face should have been was the torso of a man. His hands ended in large claws that easily snapped bones and limbs.

But could only one of those things have done all the damage here?

The creature abruptly straightened as if sensing something and began to look around. Kagome ducked back out of sight before it could turn around. She heard the faint clicking of its legs as it moved. It was unnerving to say the least. The way her heart was pounding Kagome was afraid that it could hear her so she did her best to quiet it. That's when her ears registered the absence of the creature's clicking steps. She risked a peek around the edge, but merely saw the body on which the thing had been focused on.

_Where did ugly disappear to?_ she questioned.

The clicking returned suddenly, behind her. Kagome whirled around to find the thing staring at her, its claws twitching open and shut. That was when she saw its face and what had caused the scuffmarks on that arm she had found. Revulsion rose in her throat. The creature's face had very insect-like mandibles for a mouth, dripping with flesh and blood.

This thing was eating the dead!

It hissed at her menacingly and Kagome bolted, narrowly avoiding the beast's claws. She tried racing off towards where it had been feeding only to find it to be a dead-end. She turned to her attacker who approached her, slowly taking its time with its fresh prey. Behind it Kagome could see a long metal rod sticking out of the flames, a remnant of the blacksmith's forge. If she could get the rod she would at least stand a chance.

_Demo what kind of a chance,_ she self-argued. _These things attacked the village and weren't stopped. What can I hope to do?_

I can try, at the very least.

Mustering as much courage as she could Kagome waited for the beast to charge before making her move. She dove low, easily avoiding its claws and rolling beneath its belly to the other side. A kind of sixth sense allowed her to see its tail uncoiling and racing down towards her. Kagome twisted on herself, the tail's sharp tip missing her skin by mere millimeters, but slicing through her sweater and snagging her duffle in the process. Her T-shirt was thankfully intact and she quickly shed her pack before the creature used it to draw her back. Just as her hands closed over the metal rod she felt something tear across her back. Looking back she saw a strip of her shirt dangling from one of its mighty claws. She ignored the pain, ignored the searing heat from the rod that burned her hands. She twisted again on herself as the creature rose above her to strike. Instinct forced her to raise the rod in some sort of defense as her eyes closed.

There was a deafening crunch as a huge weight pressed down on the rod in her hands.

A moment passed.

Then two.

There was no sound except the crackle of flames.

Kagome opened her eyes to a sight that proved to her that she was sometimes far luckier than she let on. The creature, in its rush for fresh meat, had failed to stop itself in time. The rod had pierced right between its blood red eyes, exploding out the back with equal force. Kagome dropped the rod and the creature fell with it, dead.

"Arigatou, Kami…" she breathed in relief, gingerly flexing her fingers, panting to regain her breath from the fright.

Her eyes scanned the ground to retrieve her pack only to find it burning in the middle of a fire. The only thing that had survived was her sleeping bag. All her clothes were a loss. A groan escaped her throat. Her careful planning had just been ruined. A frown appeared on her face that she directed at the dead scorpion thing.

"This is all your fault!" she screamed at it, kicking its side.

It didn't move.

_Okay, Kagome, calm down. You have to find where the rest of the villagers disappeared to. _

_You have to find Inuyasha. _

_He said before you left that he would protect the villagers. If he couldn't fight off these things then he would have taken the survivors away, right? _

_He would save whom he could. Take them somewhere he could protect them, where they could start a new safe life. _

_If he thought someone would come by after all this he would have probably left a sign, right? A sign as to which direction they were all heading in. _

_It wouldn't be obvious. _

_Where is it, Inuyasha? Where did you hide it? _

She scanned at the surviving structure for a clue, any clue that would help her. Only one wall had any sort of marking on it. Scratches, really. Two angled scratches and one horizontal. Kagome placed her fingers in the scratches and noticed they were spaced apart like fingers. She smiled at the tingling sensation running up her fingers.

"Inuyasha…"

The more she stared at the marks the more she thought they resembled a kind of rough arrow. She looked in the direction it was pointing in, down a dirt path that led towards the valleys. With a shrug Kagome gathered up her sleeping bag and started down the path. She knew soon the adrenaline would seep out of her system and she would feel exhausted, but she wanted to put as much distance between herself and the village as possible.

Who knew whether the creature had friends and if they would return.

Kagome did not want to stay around and find out.

Using the adrenaline still coursing through her system the young woman began to run in the direction the rough arrow had pointed in, hoping beyond hope she could catch up with the remaining villagers. The fires in the village didn't look to be very old, maybe a few hours. Which meant the group had a few hours at least on her. If they were walking and she continued to run as much as she could, she stood a good chance of gaining ground.

An ironic smile worked its way across her lips while she ran. For once she wasn't running away from anything.

"The villagers are tired and scared, Inuyasha." Kaede voiced gently as she hobbled nimbly next to the hanyou. "We should find a place to let them rest. They have been walking for hours."

Silver haired Inuyasha stopped at this and looked back to the group of twenty or so he had been leading away from the burning village at a rather brisk pace. They all looked exhausted and on the verge of terrified despair. He had kept them at a brisk pace since leaving the burning remains of the village. He had to put as much distance between them and their former home. They were mostly women and children with a few young boys. One of the women was even pregnant, due to give birth any day now. He could smell the change in her scent with the approaching day.

These were the last survivors of the attack by those… those things!

A growl forced itself from his throat at the memory of the battle. It had gone poorly from the start. They had appeared from out of nowhere and from all directions, shredding and stinging as they went. Their poison was brutally painful and long to act, many villagers falling victim to it. It was a horrible way to die. Those creatures had been quicker than arrows, their armor tougher than the finest katana. Even his enchanted Tetsusaiga katana had barely left a dent and they hadn't held still long enough to sneak the blade between the plating. He hated to retreat from a battle, running away from a fight was just not in his blood, but if anything had stuck with him from his time with Kagome was to know when a battle would not be won and this one was not to be won by him.

Kagome…

The name struck a painful chord of longing in his heart. How he missed her terribly, but he would be damned if he let that show outwardly. He let the thought of her linger in front of his mind's eye a moment more before concentrating on the refugees. He could see the weary etched into their faces, the fear of what had happened and the sorrow for their fallen friends and family members.

As much as he hated to admit it, the old hag was right. They needed to stop.

"Keh."

He sniffed the air carefully and picked up the scent of water. A stream no doubt.

"There's water in the woods. Lead them in, hag, I'll bring up the rear."

Kaede smiled.

"You are much kinder than you like to let on."

Inuyasha scowled a fierce frown, refusing to look at her. He held his ground while the group followed Kaede into the woods. The old witch woman had been right though, he had grown soft.

More Kagome influence.

_Damn that bitch! I'm almost glad she's not here. She'd be pissed that I let Shippo leave all those years ago. Hey, his decision to see if he could find what was left of his family. _

He paused, casting a glance to the faint glow on the horizon.

_Too bad Sango and the bouzo aren't here, though. They might've been some help. _

"Inuyasha-sama?" a tiny voice called up to him.

He looked down into the wide round eyes of a little girl, her clothes in tatters from the escape, her thumb stuck firmly in her mouth. He blinked at her frightened innocence.

"Are the bad monsters coming?" she asked.

His ears flattened in sympathy, despite his best efforts. He hesitated for a second, and then patted her head. Offering her comfort was a small price to pay. Besides, he couldn't stop the fact that none of the village children were afraid of him anymore. He had become a common fixture since he made that promise to Kagome five years ago to watch over these people.

"Iie, pup, the monsters are far away. Go join the others."

With one ear he followed her movements and those of the villagers while the other twitched around for any sounds out of the ordinary. He stayed this was for several minutes, just listening to the growing silence. The wind was at his back, carrying away any scents that might have been coming from the path before him. In the dark of night he couldn't see very far, despite his heightened hanyou senses. Another growl rumbled in his throat, his lips curling up to reveal sharp fangs. He didn't like this situation. Not one bit.

If danger was coming he wouldn't be able to sense it until it was too late.

Not quite resigned to it, the half demon turned cautiously and headed after the group he was protecting. He could smell them building small fires to keep themselves warm. Entering the small clearing he paused a moment to scan his surrounding, mentally taking stock to see if everyone was still there, then leapt up into a tree to keep watch over them all. From his perch on a solid branch he could see everyone perfectly, but he was hard to spot until it was too late. There he settled, eye closed, ears twitching in every which direction, nose attune to all scents on the wind.

Nothing would get by him tonight.

Kagome saw faint tendrils of white smoke rise up in the forest.

Campfires.

She was drawing closer to the villagers, she was sure of it. She smiled, relieved to know at least someone had survived. The thought of finding none of them or even some of them near death had frozen her to the core. Never once did she slow her pace, feeling her legs burning as they demanded her to stop. The adrenaline rush was almost completely out of her system now and fatigue was beginning to settle in. She fought it off as best she could, feeling the injury of her back sting with each move she made.

She couldn't stop now.

If she took the time to rest up a bit she risked falling asleep, and if she fell asleep then she was not guaranteed to wake up in time to catch up to the travelers.

Kagome dove into the woods in the direction of the smoke.

She was almost there.

Inuyasha's ears perked up in alarm.

Someone was running through the underbrush towards those under his protection and, whoever it was, was careless about trying to be silent. It would only be moments before the villagers heard the crashing of leaves and branches.

They would go into a panic.

He couldn't have that.

Panicked humans made mistakes and as it was none of them could afford any mistake that could cost a life. He leapt down from his perch in the center of the group.

"Behind me! Backs to the stream!" he barked at them.

They scrambled to obey, some already beginning to keen and cry in growing fear. He could smell that fear, growing thick on the air like musk. Inuyasha stood before them all at ready, teeth and claws ready to tear into anything that came too near. He had made a promise to guard these survivors and he would be damned if he let anything more hurt them.

A low menacing growl rumbled in his chest.

Let them come, he was ready.

Kagome froze in the shadows at the sight of the red Hi-Nezumi clad hanyou preparing for a vicious fight. The red clothing stood out in sharp contrast to the dark around him. He had crouched down, ready to leap into action. She didn't move, knowing that if she did it would make a sound and he would locate the source quickly, attacking first, then asking questions after the threat was dead.

It was his style.

Leap first, look later.

How was she going to be able to enter the clearing without getting herself killed?

"Sit!"

"Fuck!" he cursed as he heard the word.

Inuyasha felt the Nenju necklace around his neck suddenly yank him to the ground. He blinked a couple of times, raising his head in surprise. The subduing spell had been activated, but there was only one person in all of creation who could activate it. He looked to the edge of the clearing just as whoever it was stepped into the light of the fires.

The dog demon's heart slammed up into his throat in hidden joy.

Kagome had an apologetic grin on her face as she stared at him, walking forward a few steps. All he could do was stare back for the moment, unable to move due to the subduing spell. He felt like screaming. More than anything he wanted to leap up and be the first to reach her, to touch her again, but that damnable spell was keeping him pinned to the ground. Already he could feel its affect fading and he struggled to raise himself up on his hands and knees as the group of surviving villagers swarmed Kagome, happy to have her back in their midst.

He frowned at her appearance.

She hadn't changed much in the last five years, only filled out nicely in all the right places, but that wasn't what caught his attention. She looked exhausted, on the verge of collapsing at any given moment now. Her frame shook almost unperceivable. Soot had smeared her face where her blackened hands had rubbed against it; her dark clothing hiding the fact there was any soot on them. That was when his nose reported the presence of something crucial, something the villagers didn't seem to notice.

The air held a tinge of blood.

Her blood!

Kagome had been hurt!

Something or someone had dared injure _his_ Kagome!

It caused a vicious growl to rumble in his throat. No living or dead thing was allowed to cause the human female any harm what so ever so long as he was alive. His anger gave him the strength he needed to leap to his feet.

Everyone turned to him, all of them waiting for him to explode from having been subdued in such an undignified manner. He took a few steps forward, staring down at the lone girl from the future, making her squirm slightly though he was pretty sure it was more from pain than his scrutiny.

His anger softened despite himself.

He never wanted her to be afraid of him.

The frown remained, but a small grin tugged at the corners of his lips, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Bitch." he rumbled.

The tension in her shoulders relaxed slightly. She frowned in return, also grinning.

"Ja-ku."

Two steps had her buried against his chest, her fingers clinging to the back of his haori to both keep him close and keep herself standing just a little while longer. She wanted to imprint the feel of his arms and chest in her memory forever. She had been away from him for far too long. Being with him was just so right.

He hesitated but for an instant before wrapping his arms around her tightly, his long sleeves nearly hiding her from sight. Never had she felt so good in his arms. He didn't want to let go.

The smell of blood returned to his nostrils and he pushed Kagome back to hold her at arm's length, beginning an inspection to find the source of her injury, twisting her around suddenly. A long gash marked her back. Rage bubbled within him at the thought of _his_ Kagome being hurt by anyone. He whirled her around again to face him, his hands tightening on her forearms.

"Tell me who did this to you, Kagome!" he ground dangerously. "I'll rip out their fuckin' lungs!"

"It's already dead." she replied casually, her head beginning to spin.

He blinked, watching her hand go up to support her head. His grip loosened.

"It?"

"A scorpion thingy… Inuyasha, let me down… onegai… my… my head's spinning…"

His anger suddenly left him, replaced by sudden worry.

"Oi, hag, earn your keep!" he snapped.

Then, "Did it sting you?" he queried of Kagome, easing her down to her knees as Kaede hurried off to gather items to tend to the wound.

"… Nani…?"

"Listen to me, woman! Did it sting you?"

His heart was threatening to stop at any second. He remembered the agony he had seen in the dying villagers as the venom had run its course. It had been slow to act, but excruciating from the first moment. He didn't want his Kagome to suffer that way. He wouldn't be able to bare it.

The urgent concern in his voice made her look up at him. She knew he cared, but to be concern to this point…? She shook her head slightly, unintentionally causing her world to spin more wildly.

"Iie… It was just its claws…"

Relief washed over his features. It hadn't stung her. He silently thanked all the gods and goddesses in the heavens for that simple grace of letting her live. Careful of her injury he moved closer to her side to allow her to lean on him, supporting her weight so she could concentrate on staying conscious.

Kagome failed and nearly fell face first to the ground had Inuyasha not been supporting her. His body just felt so warm and comforting to the shivering Miko that she let herself relax.

He bristled fearfully when he felt her body go slack.

"Easy, boy, she will be fine." Kaede soothed at the expression of worry on his face, carefully beginning her work on Kagome's back with the help of one of the young women of the village. "She is merely unconscious."

Being ever so careful they eased the dark burgundy T-shirt up over her head as the hanyou supported the limp girl's frame. Inuyasha felt his cheeks warm at having her so close and naked from the waist up. Her skin was cool and soft beneath his fingers, giving with just the right amount of pliability to make his heart race.

He gave himself a mental shake.

She had definitely been away too long.

Averting his eyes he noticed some of the young men in the group were watching with almost avid interest. With a glare and a warning snarl from the hanyou the men turned away, knowing full well that if Inuyasha caught them staring again they risked not living for much longer.

"The wound is shallow, but long." Kaede muttered while carefully cleaning the gash. "She is tired from pain and blood loss from this wound, and no doubt from trying to find us. She told me she ran from the village to here."

Inuyasha said nothing, merely watched her work with agile and gentle fingers.

"This is merely more proof of her power as a Miko." the old healer continued. "You were not able to kill those creatures, yet she managed to find a way and survive."

_But at what cost?_ he thought.

"Don't fuckin' rub it in, baba." he said instead.

Kaede chuckled, wrapping long strips of clean cloth around Kagome's torso.

"She will sleep for some time, perhaps until tomorrow. Above all she must rest. Shallow as it may be, this wound and her search for us has caused her to lose much of her blood."

The dog demon nodded slowly in understanding.

"Laera, onegani, fetch her sleeping roll." the healer requested of her assistant for the evening.

When she turned back again she found that Inuyasha had gathered up Kagome into his lap, cradling her tenderly, wrapping the long sleeves of his haori around her to keep her warm. He was carefully trying to wipe the soot from her cheeks, cautious not to scratch her with his claws. Kaede chuckled softly and handed him the damp cloth she had been using.

"Water works much better, Inuyasha."

He straightened sharply, eyes wide in surprise for a moment at being caught. In rapid succession he looked at Kaede and to the cloth a couple times before suddenly frowning at her, grumbling low, and snatching the cloth from her hand in annoyance.

Kaede merely smiled in her all knowing manner.

Sparing only a few heartbeats more to glare at the old woman, he brought his attention back to the woman in his arms. The scowl softened into a gaze of concern as he returned his attention to cleaning her face. Kagome slept on, seemingly oblivious to the careful and tender ministrations of the hanyou.

Kaede smiled at them for a minute or two, barely registering Laera's return with the sleeping roll, finding it amazing that Kagome had managed to tame such a wild spirit such as Inuyasha. She reached forward and took the young Miko's hands, deftly washing the soot that had collected there. She then inspected the hands.

"She has been burned." she stated flatly.

Inuyasha's ears flattened in rising anger again, his snarl curling his lips back over his teeth.

"Calm yourself. They are not serious burns. They will heal within a day."

Kaede ignored his continued growl and applied a soothing balm to Kagome's hands, bandaging her palms.

"She would be more comfortable sleeping on her bed roll."

The hanyou's arms tightened around Kagome in clear defiance.

"She would at least be warmer."

He didn't want to let her go.

He was more than content to hold her this way for the rest of his life if he had to. But the old witch was right yet again. The nights were getting colder and colder as the season wore on. Soon the leaves would change color and fall from their branches and frost would form on the ground. Kagome would be warmer in her bedroll.

_But like Hell I'm letting her sleep on the ground after all that,_ he ground inwardly, setting the sleeping girl down in her sleeping bag.

No sooner had Kaede pulled the zipper closed did he scoop Kagome back into his lap, growling low, daring Kaede to say anything in protest.

She merely sighed.

"You are a stubborn one. Just let her sleep, she needs the rest."

Then she turned to the rest of the group.

"As do we all. Today has been hard on all of us."

A murmur of agreement spread through the group and they began to settle themselves again for the night. Inuyasha looked to all the tired faces, lines of sorrow furrowing some. Some of the women would cry themselves to sleep that night. They had lost Aruji and Obocchan in the attack. He could only imagine how hard it could be for them. His mind dared imagine how he would take having lost Kagome the same way and a pained gasp locked in his throat. He swallowed hard and looked down at where she slept, his arms tightening around her protectively.

_I'll let them sleep longer into tomorrow. They need it. _

He paused and scowled at himself.

_Damn, I really have gone soft. _

Kagome came awake in layers, noticing the incredible warmth wrapped around her and the strong scent of a fresh forest first before all else. She let herself breath softly for a moment or two, comforted by the warmth, before noticing the odd shape of the bed she was in. It wasn't uncomfortable, far from it, but she vaguely wondered what kind of a bed was shaped this way out in the forest. She forced her eyes to open, her heavy lids fighting her every step of the way. All her blurred eyes saw was a shock of silvery white bordered in red. Those colors were very familiar to her, a smile coming unbidden to her lips. Slowly her vision cleared until she could see sharp details once again.

Inuyasha.

His golden eyes were watching the forest, his ears twisting to and fro for any sound that could alert him to danger. A small frown marred his boyish features. For what felt like an eternity, Kagome merely lay there and watched him. He was still as magnificent as she remembered, his proud and stubborn streak clearly showing, but with an air of gentle caring beginning to sneak by. Abruptly she realized what the shape of her bed had been. Inuyasha had gathered her up in his lap and was holding her close to protect her from the world.

She blinked and blushed.

To her knowledge he had never done that before… had he?

She paused as she thought about it. She couldn't recall the last time he had done something so openly caring towards her. But the thought of him doing this now, after she had been away so long, brought a feeling of great warmth coursing through her body. Cautious of his heightened senses Kagome reached up behind one of his twitching ears and gave it a gentle yet firm scratch. His golden eyes closed of their own accord, his head tilting into her hand as a pleased rumble sounded deep in his chest. Kagome could barely contain her soft giggle of amusement.

He made a sound deep in his throat, a soft bark more or less.

"You're supposed to be sleeping, bitch."

"Maybe…"

Kagome swallowed in an attempt to clear away the scratchy feeling in her throat.

"But it would kind of look bad for me to sleep through my first night back, ne?"

His answer was lost in another low rumble as her fingers gently stroked his ear, his head lowering slightly to give her better access without reaching too much. It was stronger than him, he absolutely had to let her continue. Since Kikyou, Kagome had been the only female he had let approach him, let alone touch him or his sensitive ears. And truth be known, he missed Kagome's touch. She had the most delicate and gentle fingers…

Again he heard her giggle.

"You're an overgrown puppy."

He snarled quietly, the frown returning to his face for an instant, but remained silent. He just wanted to sit there and let her play with his ear.

"Are you mad at me for staying away so long?"

"Hai." he grunted before hearing the timid remorse in her voice.

He opened an eye to see her, to see the painful remorse flit across her features.

"But I would've been even more pissed if you'd gotten yourself killed." he amended quickly, closing his eye.

She blinked, then grinned wryly at his smug expression. He was teasing her again, just like old times.

"Ja-ku." she muttered playfully, giving a lock of his hair a slight tug.

He grunted with a smirk. When he looked down at her he found her blue eyes solemnly surveying the others sleeping within the clearing, gathered in informal circles around small campfires. He could see the sorrow building in her eyes, threatening to spill out in hot tears, and he felt his heart constrict from it.

"Are they all that's left?" she whispered.

Inuyasha paused before answering, "Hai."

"Shippo, Sango, Miroku…?"

"So far as I know they're safe. They weren't in the village at the time."

"Nani? Where were they?"

"Miroku went South several days ago and Sango went with him to, as she said, keep him and his roaming hands out of trouble. Though I think I know why she really went with him."

"And Shippo?" she queried, hoping to hide her blush at his suggesting comment.

"He thought he remembered something about his Okaasan's pack running somewhere North of here. He went off to see if he could find them, maybe join up with them."

"I'm glad he wasn't around to see…"

Kagome couldn't finish, afraid of the mental image.

Inuyasha snarled menacingly.

"They just fuckin' came out of fuckin' nowhere! Goddamn bugs!" he growled, careful not to wake those scattered around them.

"What are they?"

"They smelled hanyou, but…"

"But?"

"It's an old scent, ancient. It… It doesn't smell like anything from this world."

Kagome shivered at that.

Not of this world…?

"How… How can you tell?"

He tried to collect his more primal thoughts that had led him to such a conclusion. The memory was older than he was about this, but the true and definite answer eluded him. Shaking his head at a loss, the growl returned, his arms tightening instinctively around the lithe form in his lap. Inuyasha hated not knowing. Not knowing something this important was a weakness. And a weakness meant he couldn't find a way to defend his Kagome.

He hated that.

Despised it with a passion.

He blinked, abruptly remembering something from earlier that evening. She had killed one of those scorpion creatures. He leaned down to force her eyes to meet his.

"Oi, how did you kill that thing?"

It was her turn to blink, confused. "Nani?"

"The beastie who attacked you. You killed it, ne?"

"Hai."

"How?"

"I… I guess… I got lucky."

Amber eyes narrowed in a thinly veiled demand.

"Tell me how."

The intensity of his stare forced the answer from her, boring deep into her eyes to keep her from moving or suddenly changing the topic.

"I… I got my hands on a metal rod… I… I didn't know how I was going to use it, but I- I just had to defend myself somehow."

"What did you do?" he demanded further.

"I… I pointed at it with the rod… It… It charged and I closed my eyes, thinking this was it, I… I was going to die."

Kagome felt his fingers flex into her skin in a light twitch, just enough so she could feel his claws without it being painful to her.

"When… When I opened my eyes again, it… it had impaled itself between the eyes."

The corner of his eye twitched, the only sign of slight awe in her he let escape his stoic expression. He released her eyes, looking at the ground in thought. By a sheer stroke of pure luck she had discovered where those things were the most vulnerable and how to make them so.

Get them to charge.

And their heads were the vulnerable spot.

He thought back to the battle in the village and realized how true that was now. Each time an arrow was shot at them, the creatures would cover their heads. When a sword came at them, again, the head was shielded to let the body take the brunt of it. Everything that had been thrown at them had missed the head because they had been so careful to protect it. The armor must have been at its thinnest there.

That was a weakness.

_Keh__, not an easy place to get to in a fight with them though,_ he thought grimly.

Kagome shifted against him, recalling his attention down to her as she wrapped her arms around his torso, her ear pressed to his heart.

"I was so scared…"

Something broke within the hanyou and he crushed her as close as he dared without causing her any harm. A low, soothing rumble rolled in his chest, his hands gently stroking her hair and back to smooth away her fears. She was trembling in his arms, all her terrors having come rushing up to the surface from where she had pushed them down.

And he had forced her to remember.

His ears flattened in guilt.

"Shhh, you're okay." he whispered in a near purr. "I won't let anything hurt you. You're safe now."

Her arms tightened, letting herself sink into the warmth of his chest. His constant low growl and the feel of his arms encircling her so protectively began to lull her senses, drawing her back into the sleep she needed.

But she needed to know…

"Inuyasha…?"

"Mm?"

"Where are you taking the villagers?"

He could hear the slumber creeping back into her voice and allowed himself a smile at it.

"I know a place near the coast. All you need to know for now is that it's safe. Now, sleep."

She snuggled against his shoulder.

"'kay." she mumbled, not in the mood to argue.

Again, Inuyasha smiled down at her. Careful not to break her settling slumber he nuzzled the top of her head, inhaling deeply of her scent. It was an exotic scent; nothing he had ever sampled before and it intrigued him. Everything about her did. She could be as delicate as a flower one moment, soft and vulnerable, then as hard as steel the next if pushed past the edge. She was capable of such great acts of kindness and such moments of strength and courage. Inuyasha caressed her head, cupping her chin ever so tenderly to lift up her face.

"I'm never letting you go again, Kagome." he breathed, his thumb absently trailing over her lower lip.

"You are mine."

When Kagome woke again she found herself lying on something that bumped and jarred every so often. Opening her eyes she was nearly blinded by the midday sunlight. She squinted for a better look at her surroundings. She was still in her sleeping bag, her bandages the only top she wore, but now she was lying on a bed of fine straw within the back of a cart. Forcing the wave of nausea and dizziness back down, she sat up. The elder villagers and youngest of children were in the back of the cart with her, still solemn, still weary, but certain safety was just a few more miles away.

"Ah, Kagome-sama, you're finally awake!"

She turned to the voice and found Kaede walking next to the cart.

"Kaede-baba."

"How are you feeling, child?"

Kagome reached a hand up to support her head, trying to clear away the mental cobwebs.

"A little dizzy."

A sack was dropped unceremoniously in her lap. She squeaked in surprise, then looked up at who had thrown it at her. Inuyasha was walking behind the cart, his amber eyes surveying the forests on either side of the path.

"Nani?" she questioned. "Inuyasha?"

"You need to eat." he answered simply, moving up to walk at the cart's side.

There was no mistaking the command in his voice.

Resigned to the fact he would argue with her if she refused to eat anything he offered, she opened the sack. A small loaf of bread, some dried meats, and a small preciously wrapped pouch lay within. She reached for the pouch in curiosity. It was made of some of the most finely embroidered red and gold silk Kagome had ever seen, just a swath, with a small gold ribbon tied in a meticulous bow. Almost hesitant to destroy the lovely packet, she carefully pulled the ribbon free and opened the silk purse, a bright smile illuminating her face at its contents.

Wild strawberries.

It was completely filled with tiny wild strawberries.

She was pretty sure he didn't have them the night before, so it was safe to say he had left her side the night before to gather these ripe berries. It was a small gesture to anyone else's eyes, but to Kagome, seeing as this had come from Inuyasha, it spoke volumes. She looked over at him, still smiling.

Only his eyes turned to see her. Seeing her stunning smile of appreciation warmed his heart, forcing a small grin to his own lips, his eyes returning to the road ahead.

He loved her smile.

Compared to Kikyou's smile, which was often restrained or forced or even hinted with the sorrow of her perpetual solitude, Kagome let everything she felt show in a smile brighter than the sun. And right now, she had forgotten her fears and was happy.

Kagome saw his grin and it only made her smile grow wider. She wished he smiled more often. Nibbling on the food pouch's contents she turned to face the direction they were heading in. Just ahead she could see a fork in the road. She could see rocky cliffs in one direction of the fork with sea birds hovering around them.

"Is that where we're going?" she questioned.

When she received no answer she looked to her hanyou friend. He was staring back down the path, sampling the air blowing towards them in growing unease, his ears flattening back. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She had seen that look before. His lips were beginning to curl into a warning snarl at whatever was coming. Instinctively she knew what it was he had smelled heading their way.

"Into the woods!" Kagome called to the group. "Now! You two! Grab some branches! Erase our tracks! Hurry!"

The travelers leapt to obey her, struggling to remain as silent as possible despite the keens of worry and fear rising in their throats. Kagome jumped from the back of the cart to help as much as she could, fighting the searing pain in her back and her spinning head. Clearing the road of any signs of their tracks she ended up behind Inuyasha. He hadn't moved from his spot, growling, just itching for a fight. She gripped the sleeve of his haori to restrain him.

"Inuyasha!"

Fiery amber eyes frowned at her suddenly, but she held her ground, used to those kinds of stares from him.

"Onegai, don't! There's too much at risk right now!"

His entire frame shook as he did his best to restrain himself. He wanted, more than anything, to have a second chance at fighting those scorpion things and winning this time instead of retreating. His demon blood screamed for battle, demanded it. He wanted revenge for being forced to retreat like some beaten mongrel. But her hand on his sleeve held firm, tugging him towards the forest where the rest of their group was already hidden. The pleading and frightened look on Kagome's face finally decided him on his course of action. With one last growl down the path he wrapped an arm around her waist and dove out of sight on the opposite side of the path from the rest of the refugee villagers, flattened to the ground beneath some underbrush, Kagome pressed close to his side.

If need be he would protect her with his very life.

Everything grew eerily quiet.

Not a bird twittered, not a cricket chirped.

The only sounds that filtered through the silence were those of the wind through the trees and a foreboding clicking that grew louder as it came up the path. A low rumbled rolled in Inuyasha's chest, a snarl beginning to curl his lips. Kagome pressed her hand to his mouth, gently stroking his hair to try to calm him. His arm tightened in reflex.

From around the bend in the road appeared three gigantic black forms, their thin legs carrying them forward with incredible speed and agility. Long tails, tipped in a particularly vicious looking stinger, were curled along their backs to keep them out of the way. All were intent on where ever their destination was. When the three reached about where the cart had been, they stopped and Kagome froze in growing fear. The scorpion men seemed to hesitate, looking around in confusion for what seemed an eternity, then took off again up the path heading away from the sea birds and cliffs.

Kagome released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Keeping his eyes up the path where the creatures had disappeared from sight, Inuyasha risked crawling out from the underbrush, Kagome's hand nestled firmly in his own. Across the way, the other survivors followed suit, alert and ready to bolt if the creatures returned. Kaede frowned up the path in concern.

"There's another village up that way. They won't stand a chance." she voiced softly.

Kagome agreed.

"Unless someone helps them."

With an anticipatory snarl, Inuyasha prepared to race off after the creatures.

"Matte!" he heard Kagome command.

He paused in mid-step and looked at her in surprise. She was retrieving one of the long bows and a quiver of arrows from the cart before running back to him to climb onto his back.

"Now we can go."

"We?" He hesitated in protest. "Kagome, you're-"

"Do you want to argue or do you want a chance to kill those damn things?"

He blinked, shocked, then gave a hearty, throaty chuckle.

"You are definitely my kind of bitch."

"Wait here, we'll be back as soon as we can!" she called back to her friends as the hanyou took a running leap for the treetops.

Branches flew by at a dizzying pace that only a hanyou possessed. His feet found each branch even before he saw them. A few demi-demon powered hops were all it took for the duo to reach the village. He could already sense the growing fear of an entire village as he landed at the village entrance. The creatures were already there.

"Fuck, those things are fast." he snarled.

"Then we'll just have to be faster."

Kagome leapt from his back, an arrow notched and ready as she ran into the panicked village with Inuyasha. She allowed herself an inner wry smirk. This was so unlike the little girl who had arrived in this land nearly seven years ago. Back then she would have never rushed into danger this way. Now, it was almost second nature. She knew how to defend herself and she had learned to split her attention to allow herself a wider perspective of a situation.

Within the village walls the scorpion trio was already hard at work destroying buildings, tearing through wood, and stinging or snapping in half any living thing that dared move within range. So far it was only village animals, the villagers themselves had the common sense to stay out of the way. Kagome covered her mouth, nauseated by the scene going on before her, swallowing hard to keep herself from throwing up. Inuyasha saw the move and smirked in teasing.

"Don't you dare fuckin' run away, little girl. It was your idea to tag along."

Startled, she frowned at him, her hand dropping away to re-notch her arrow and taking aim at one of the scorpion men.

"Who's running?" she queried, releasing the arrow.

The target barely heard the soft twang of the bowstring over the screams of the crowd, turning none-the-less in slight concern. It never had a chance to bring up its claws to protect itself. The arrow hit its mark, piercing through one eye to come out through the back of its head.

Inuyasha cocked his head to one side in appreciation. Her aim had definitely improved over the last few years.

The scorpion creature let out a high-pitched scream as it died, alerting the remaining two creatures. They barely turned in time to see a blur of red and silver racing towards them. The nearest one fell easily, its head exploding under the hanyou's powerful hit. The remaining scorpion creature managed to protect its head in time to block the intended blow. Inuyasha managed to twist mid-air to avoid the lashing tail, landing on the other side of the creature.

The man-scorpion looked to both his attackers, gauging which one could offer the most threat and therefore have to be eliminated first. It had never been in this kind of situation. No one had ever managed to kill one of its kind before this. In the female all he could smell was the scent of the pink flesh, the humans as they called themselves.

The other was intriguing.

There was human, but there was also strong demon blood there too.

A potent potion.

It also made the male more dangerous. It ignored Kagome and turned its full attention on Inuyasha.

The hanyou smiled evilly.

_Good, come after me, you ugly son of a bitch! Let me show you what I can really do! _

As the creature turned Kagome saw an opening in its defenses and quickly notched another arrow. She took careful aim for the head, time seeming to slow as if to help her prepare.

The arrow released with a twang.

The creature heard and began to turn away from Inuyasha.

Time continued to lag, which made it even more painful to watch the scorpion raise a clawed arm and easily block the arrow. That same claw then dipped and swung hard, launching her into the air. Lucky for her, Kagome landed in a pile of gathered straw and grasses, softening the blow enough for her not to add to her present injury, but hard enough for that injury to scream painfully against her senses and for the wind to be knocked out of her. The wave of dizziness gripped her mind again from the blow and Kagome passed out.

Inuyasha's world turned to red mere instants after he saw her get hit by the man scorpion.

It had hurt Kagome!

No one was allowed to hurt his Kagome.

He would make the creature pay for its mistake.

With a feral roar, Inuyasha hurdled himself at the beast, claws and teeth bared in anticipation of a fight.

His sword was forgotten, this was a primal anger.

He landed on the beast's back, clawing rabidly as the black armor plates in a blind fury, turning to latch onto the scorpion being's tail when it lashed towards him, barely avoiding its stinger. No matter how much it struggled, wildly swinging its tail to and fro, the hanyou held on tight, claws digging deeper into the hard plating. There was a sickening squelching sound, followed by a wet pop, the beast screeching wildly in pain. Its stinger had been ripped off due to the ever-increasing pressure from Inuyasha's grip. The hanyou went flying backwards, easily landing on his feet to continue to face off against his opponent.

Something bumped against his thigh and he looked down.

Tetsusaiga!

A moment of clarity suddenly invaded Inuyasha's senses and he smiled menacingly at the soon to be dead insect. The moment was only a few instants away now.

With a furious screech, the creature rushed at Inuyasha, its deadly intent fully visible in blood red eyes. Inuyasha held his ground, his sword hand gripping the hilt of the magical katana.

Seconds seemed to drag.

The man scorpion spread its arms out in a move to prevent escape and prepare for a crushing death embrace.

Inuyasha shifted his stance ever so slightly so the katana was now away from the attacker.

Light flashed off of steel.

Tetsusaiga blazed to life, growing to an impressive and deadly size.

The scorpion being didn't have time to react.

With one mighty swipe, the blade easily severed head from body, the hanyou rolling out of the way so as not to be hit. Momentum kept the beast moving forward until its legs crumbled beneath it, crashing in a heap of limbs and dust to the ground.

With a proud smirk, the hanyou sheathed his enchanted weapon. Victory was easy now that Kagome had explained how to kill them.

He blinked, remembering why he had raged in the first place.

Kagome.

He dashed to her side, finding her still unconscious on the pile of soft grasses. Blood had begun to seep through her bandages on her back, the wound having re-opened from the blow. Worry gripped his heart. She had to be in incredible pain. Being ever so careful he turned her over and cradled her body close, gentle nuzzling a spot just behind her ear, keening softly. His hands stroked through her hair, marveling for the first time at how soft it was, caressing her smooth cheek in urging for her to awaken. His ears flattened in pure concern.

"You're not allowed to leave me, Kagome." he whispered fiercely in her hair, his arms tightening. "I won't let you."

A small sound escaped her throat, causing him to look down at her face suddenly.

"… I-… Inuyasha…?"

He exhaled heavily, pressing his forehead to hers.

"Stupid bitch." he muttered in a bare whisper. "Going off into a damn fight while you're still recovering."

A small chuckle shook her frame.

"I wonder where I get that from."

Her comment got him to crack a small grin.

"Baka. Just don't do it again."

She smirked. "No guarantees."

This won her a chiding growl from the hanyou.

Giving her ample time to adjust to each move, Inuyasha eased her up to her feet, allowing her to lean against his chest to support most of her weight. Her fingers were curled into his haori to keep him close, her ear to his heart as he mind swam between consciousness and unconsciousness. The pain from her back made it difficult to think straight for long periods of time, annoyingly drifting from oblivion to lucidity at any given moment.

For his part, Inuyasha kept an arm wrapped around her small frame protectively as the inhabitants of the village began to exit their homes to assess the damages. Thankfully, the duo had reached the village before any lives were lost.

A few of the villager elders approached the strange duo.

"You… you saved us!" one praised.

"I was itching for a re-match against those goddamn bugs." Inuyasha replied flatly.

One of the men of the village approached at that point, making a move to take Kagome from the hanyou's arms. Inuyasha reacted instantly, snarling in warning, wrapping both his arms possessively around Kagome to hide her within the folds of his long sleeves.

"Touch her and I'll rip your fuckin' arms off!" he growled.

One of the elders waived off the villager, bowing low in apology.

"A thousand pardons, hanyou-sama, but we merely thought you would want medical attention for your… um… mate."

Inuyasha blinked, casting a quick glance down at the girl in his arms, grinning to himself at the look of surprised confusion on her face and at his own thought of Kagome as his life-mate. Either she was still in shock, or something else, but she was not protesting being called his mate. Mentally, he shook himself of the inner contemplation. There was a time and place for such thoughts and this was not one of those times or places. He lifted the injured woman in his arms.

"We have our own healer." And he turned to begin to leave.

"At least let us reward you for saving all of us!"

Kagome's hand curled into his haori, giving it a slight tug to get his attention.

"For the others, Inuyasha."

He protested with a low rumble in his chest.

"A short delay, I promise. Onegai, put me down."

Still growling his disagreement, he set her on her feet. When she tried to take a few steps towards the village elders his arms fastened around her shoulders to pin her back against his chest to prevent her from going too far. She gave him a puzzled look from over her shoulder, but chalked up his protectiveness to the fact she was injured.

"We're traveling with a group of about twenty or so, the last survivors of a village that was attacked by those creatures." she voiced to the elders. "Anything you can spare for them would be welcome."

The old man bowed in acceptance to this and began to hastily shout orders to the gathering crowd. They scattered into activity, happily gathering up items and bringing them forward to their saviors, loading them into a supplied wagon.

Inuyasha's constant low growl rose by a couple of octaves in a thinly veiled caution to any of the approaching men, his arms tightening protectively around the lithe human girl before him, his sleeves hiding her form from sight.

Kagome didn't complain too much. Truth be known, she was getting cold without much else to cover her except her bandages and Inuyasha was just too warm to resist. Despite it, a slight shiver shook her frame.

"You cold?" he asked her.

"Mm, a little."

The hanyou responded by gently nuzzling his face in her hair, his breath warm against her skin. She gulped hard to stifle her gasp, a wave of incredible heat washing over her. She was certain of it, he had never done that before, intentionally or unintentionally.

Deeming the wagon as full as it was going to get, Inuyasha easily jumped onto it, snagging a thick blanket from the back and, in one fluid movement, had Kagome wrapped up in its warmth, setting her down in the driver's seat. From there it was a short hop down to take the reigns of the docile oxen to lead them away. With arigatous exchanged and well wishes given between the humans, the stoic hanyou tugged at the oxen's halter to get it moving forward. At the bovine's pace, it would take a while before they returned to their friends.

Kagome used that time to relax a bit and think, staring at Inuyasha's back. She remembered a time when he had forbidden any male from approaching her, either attacking that male or interposing himself between her and the interloper. His actions then had more than stated that she was off limits to any other male save him. But never once had he acted like back in the village. Yes, he had growled, but he had never held her so possessively. He had never actually touched her in the past during moments like that.

So what had changed?

Her pain and exhaustion muddled mind refused to come up with a plausible answer so she merely shrugged it off and resigned herself to asking Inuyasha about it some day.

"Ne, Inuyasha?"

One of his ears turned in her direction.

"I meant to ask you. Where did we get the first cart?"

"Some of the village pups brought it back. They said they found it on the side of the road, the horse pulling it looked terrified."

"Another attack by those things?"

He shrugged. "Probably."

He heard her sigh heavily.

"How many more will have to die before this is over?"

Her voice was a bare whisper, not intending for Inuyasha to hear.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. Everything was supposed to be bright and happy like a homecoming should be."

The hanyou nearly tripped in surprise.

She had said homecoming.

Did that mean she never intended to go back to her time and live here in his time?

For only the second time in his life his heart dared to hope.

Kagome was drawing ever closer to becoming his and only his.

Late night lay dark and thick on the coastal lands. The full round moon cast eerie shadows beneath crumbled rocks, and the occasional trees, making the place look all the more ethereal. The reigns of the cart-pulling horse had been tied to the rear of the wagon, and all the refugees had crawled aboard the vehicles, settling in for the night. Even the lone hanyou had climbed into the wagon's driver's seat, taking the reigns to guide the small caravan. Now he pulled on those the reigns to stop the oxen.

Inuyasha sighed softly at the sight of the ruins looming just ahead, at the base of a large rocky outcropping. So many years had passed since he had last been near this relic of old. His memories were few, happy memories in any case. All he could remember was his Okaasan crying as they were both forced from this place and his Jii-chan's angered face from over his Okaasan's shoulder. That man had forever remained ingrained in his mind as a cruel and harsh daimyo that had shunned his own Magomusume when she had given birth to a hanyou, treating her like something less than dust.

But that man was long gone now.

And the ruins of his old castle were as defensible a place, if not more, as anywhere else Inuyasha knew. This was a place he could keep Kagome safe for far longer than another village or even a cave. He looked down at the head resting on his thigh and smiled softly. During the long journey here Kagome had valiantly struggled to stay awake, curious to see their destination. She had very nearly toppled over a few times long after everyone else had gone to sleep in the cart and wagon. He had wrapped an arm around her shoulders and had tugged her against himself, urging her to rest. She had tried to resist, but relented in the end, sleep gaining the upper hand, and had pillowed her head against his leg.

He didn't have the heart to wake her, even though he knew she wasn't as comfortable as she could be at that moment. He looked at the castle's perimeter walls now surrounding them and set his jaw. Tomorrow, he would start exploring the place that could have been his home, for rooms that had survived. For tonight, he and those under his protection would sleep under the stars.

He wasn't going to wake them just so they could go to sleep again. That was counter-productive.

Being as gentle as possible, he lifted Kagome's head off his leg to allow him to stand, and then gathered her up in his arms. A small sound of protest slipped from her lips. He responded by letting a low rumble roll in his chest.

"Shhh, go back to sleep." he hushed.

Holding her close, Inuyasha crawled into the back of the wagon, finding a comfortable corner to settle in atop piles of clothing and blankets. He gently shifted the sleeping girl in his arms, so her back was now to his chest as she sat in his lap, and tugged a loose blanket up so it now covered the both of them, his arms wrapping around her waist. Already sleep was beginning to creep up on him. Two hard battles in two days with no rest between the two taxed even his stamina. He rubbed his cheek to the side of her head tenderly, nudging it over just enough to give him access to her neck.

Kagome was just about to drift off into a much deeper sleep when she felt something soft and warm graze the side of her neck. It took her a few heartbeats to realize it was Inuyasha nuzzling a caress there with his lips. Her muscles tightened as she prepared to shift against him, to move away from his lips in slight apprehension of the attention, and his arms tightened around her in response.

"Shhh." he breathed softly against her flesh.

"Inuyasha…?"

"Sleep, Kagome." and he gently sunk his teeth into the junction of her neck and shoulder, a kind of purring growl reverberating in his chest.

A flash of pure heat raced through her from the pit of her stomach, her toes almost curling in undeniable pleasure, and she inhaled sharply. Kagome felt herself go completely limp, questions about his actions barely registering in the back of her mind. Somehow, the feel of his fangs on her skin had a sedating effect on her senses.

She felt safe.

That, and his low growl lulled her back to sleep with the greatest of ease. She would ask him her questions later. Right now, sleep was just too appealing.

Inuyasha's ear twitched, absently swatting away the fly that buzzed around it. Slowly, his senses resurfaced enough to be able to hear the light sounds of the day. There were birds and gulls calling to each other somewhere nearby. Just beneath that layer of noise was the more muted and distant sound of crashing waves on stone and sand. Closer in were the sounds of people talking and young children playing games.

Golden eyes peered out from under heavy lids. He blinked a few times, clearing sleep from his muddled senses. The first sight that greeted him was the slender arch of Kagome's neck. His nostrils flared to inhale her scent more deeply. The low growl returned softly and he suddenly realized his fangs were still biting the base of her neck. Unhurriedly, almost reluctantly, he released his grip and stared down at the marks his teeth had left there. He hadn't broken the skin, but the indentations were deep, her skin having flushed in a small circle between the marks. In apology, he languidly lapped at the bite mark soothingly, savoring the taste of her skin.

A sound akin to a soft moan escaped Kagome's lips as she shifted more comfortably against him, a smile on her face. Inuyasha couldn't help but grin. She was so painfully adorable when she slept peacefully. While he watched, her dark blue eyes fluttered open, squinting slightly in the light of day. She stretched out as best she could without aggravating the gash along her back, hiding her yawn behind her hand.

He chuckled at her.

"Sleep well?"

"Mm, surprisingly so despite everything. What time is it?" she questioned, suddenly realizing the redundancy of the query in a time where watches didn't yet exist.

"Can't be as accurate as that weird watch thingy of yours, but…"

He looked up at the sun with a slight squint.

"I'd say it's about midday."

Inuyasha stretched out his limbs with an arch of his back, yawning loudly.

"Later than I'm used to."

Kagome did her best to hide the blush in her cheeks, his arching of his back inadvertently having caused him to press closer to her back than she was used to. She sat up, leaning away from his chest, struggling to cool the heat in her cheeks. Then she remembered why she had awakened in the first place. Something soft and warm and wet had tickled her neck. Her hand reached up and gingerly touched the sensitized spot where her shoulder joined her neck.

Last night leapt to the forefront of her mind suddenly and she turned to face him.

"Ne… You… bit me."

"Nani?"

"Last night… you… you bit me."

He blinked at her suddenly and Kagome couldn't help but think how adorable that moment of confusion and concern made him look.

"I didn't hurt you, ne?"

"Iie, demo…"

But he smirked arrogantly before she could collect her thoughts.

"So don't worry about it."

"Demo…"

"Demo, demo, nothing." he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "You slept fine despite it. Why are you complaining?"

"I… I'm not! It's just…"

"Just…?"

"Different."

"Different?"

"From every other night, hai. It… It confused me."

Her nose scrunched at the inadequacy of the word. It wasn't so much confused as she was surprised. It was a new experience to feel his lips on her skin, let alone his teeth. Yet he had been very careful to hold firm without hurting her. Did such a hold have some meaning to the hanyou? She would have to ask Kaede about youkai traditions and behaviors.

His shoulders shook in barely contained laughter. It was her turn to blink at him.

"Nani?"

"You're cute when you're confused."

"Mou…"

A fierce blush washed over her skin, her hands covering her face in embarrassment. When his laughter got the better of him and he laughed aloud, Kagome grabbed a fistful of shirts piled nearby and threw them at his face, climbing out of the cart in mock annoyance.

Then froze.

Inuyasha quickly tore the cover from his face and peered at her casually from the wagon. He wanted… no, needed, to see her reaction. For some reason he needed her approval of his choice of this place.

Kagome's mouth fell open in wonder. The place was ethereal in its age and beauty. It was the remains of an immense castle pressed into the side of a rocky cliff, their great sweeping forms nestling the ruins of the once proud castle. Vegetation had long since grown over the crumbling walls, reclaiming what human kind had taken from it. Beneath the thick carpets of mosses and vines hanging from just about every conceivable perch, Kagome could see the four distinct levels that made up the main house, most of the roofing and a few of the walls having long since vanished from the effects of weather and age, a few rotting wooden supports still remaining even after so long. Once hard corners and edges were worn round and smooth from the action of water and wind, to the point where some surfaces seemed to be as smooth as glass. Though long destroyed, the land had healed and, though the castle still remained in ruin, its beauty was not lost to the pilgrims.

Hints of warm reds and chipped gold peeked out between the emerald of live and fresh foliage. The vast courtyard now occupied by the survivors was covered in a plush carpet of moss and grass, where once only dirt had been pounded under foot. Copper statues, green with patina, lay toppled next to or stoic on their dais. Around some, almost covering them from sight, were gnarled sakura trees and peony bushes. Fire blooms added hints of color to the vast greenery. Amidst the medley of verdant greens and amber yellows, tiny shoots of crimson blossomed upward to lie across the overgrown path. A heady scent of nature at its best filled Kagome's nostrils, and she could almost smell each individual plant. Honeysuckle, peony, burdock… all thickly mixed with scents she couldn't identify even if she tried.

The scent of a sea breeze struck her next, telling her senses just how close she was to the shore, the salt of the air sharp in contrast to the soft flora. A gentle breeze carried from the other side of the walls where she could hear the surf crashing. The air tugged at her hair, cool against her skin.

She blinked several times, afraid this fantastic place was nothing more than a daydream, and finally gasped shakily.

"I- Inuyasha…"

She turned to see him smirking at her in clear amusement. She shook her head, at a loss for words.

He had known about this place.

How had he found it?

"This… This place…" she stammered.

"You like?"

There was a hopeful hint in his voice that she didn't miss.

She flashed him her best smile.

"It's absolutely beautiful."

Relief flitted across his face, his smirk growing wider.

"This is the safest place I know of."

He leapt from the cart with a grunt.

"Ironic considering what happened here." he muttered.

"You know what happened here?"

"Hai." he growled.

He glanced at her, urging her to follow as he strode quickly to one of the enceinte walls. Pulling aside some vines he revealed long gashes in the ancient stone, each gash as wide as a human hand and as long as a full grown man. Inuyasha gripped her wrist and pressed her palm flat to one of the gashes. Immediately she felt it. A rush of power so painful that it made her wince, pulling her hand away as if burned.

"Youkai." she breathed. "The youkai attacked this place?"

"They took offence to what happened here all those years ago."

"What happened?"

A low growl rumbled in his throat.

"I happened."

"Nani?"

But he had already begun walking away, saying in his own silent way that the conversation about his part in all of it was well over. Part of her was frustrated and more than a little fed up with his stubborn refusal to talk about the pain in his past. Another part understood why. His Okaasan, the only person who had truly cared for him and whom he had loved dearly, had died when he had been very young. Too young still to learn about trusting others or knowing when to open up to others when the emotional pain got too much. Kagome knew she had to be patient with the moody hanyou. Sooner or later, he would open up to her.

She ran to catch up to him, her hand sneaking into his without resistance. He gave her hand a squeeze, silently grateful that she didn't ask further into this topic. Kagome looked up at the castle remains nestled into the side of the cliffs.

"Is it safe to go in?"

He squared his shoulders.

"Only one way to find out."

Reluctantly releasing her hand, Inuyasha boldly strode towards the building, climbing the crumbled steps to the remains of ornately carved copper doors hanging loosely from their hinges. If the building collapsed, he stood a much better chance at surviving it than any of the humans under his care. Behind him he could hear the survivors gathering around Kagome, expectantly waiting for the hanyou to call back his findings. Bright gold eyes peered into the dark beyond, scanning every shadow carefully. His nose sampled the air within, only catching the scent of long ago rotten wood dead vegetation. Inuyasha took a few steps inside, ears twitching in alert. There was no movement, so sound of groaning supports, no grinding of stone under years of pressure.

He struck a support column and grunted, satisfied.

"It's safe!" he called to those waiting just beyond the door.

The group's children came bounding through the door suddenly, anxious for a new place to explore, while the adults entered with caution.

All except Kagome.

She entered the castle as if this had always been her home, a place where she was not afraid anything would fall on her head because she was confident.

Confident of Inuyasha's abilities.

That trust warmed his heart, along with the awed expression on her face as she gazed at the ancient paintings covering the walls. Inuyasha was content to watch her move from place to place as she explored, watching as her hands lightly traveled over the occasional gash marks in the stones. She would wince at each touch, but remained silent about what she felt.

He knew why.

She could sense the power the youkai left behind in those marks, the pain they inflicted and the anger they radiated. Kagome's head snapped up at the shrieked laughter of some of the children chasing each other, racing up a flight of stairs to the building's next level. Curious about what was up there and concerned about the children, she ran after them. The steps took a sharp left at the top, a long corridor leading down into near darkness. She could hear the children oo-ing and ah-ing at something just ahead. A paper door lay in shreds just ahead, a kind of golden glow radiating through the opening. She, too, could not resist the gasp of awe when she rounded the corner, slowing her pace to come to a stop near the center of the new room.

Room was inadequate to describe its size.

Chamber, maybe. Or even banquet hall.

"It's the daimyo's receiving hall."

She whirled in place to find Inuyasha leaning back casually against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were closed, almost as if he didn't want to see this place for fear of the memories it could evoke.

"Nani?"

"The bastard held his audiences here, with all pomp and ceremony he didn't fuckin' deserve."

Kagome's eyes trailed over the room once again, noting how everything had been angled just right so that light filtered through paper screens to cast a soft gold glow over everything. Youkai blows had snapped decorative wooden columns, pillows ripped to pieces, and bamboo mats torn in half. Despite it all, the room was still lovely. She was dying to ask Inuyasha how he knew so much of this place, but bit her tongue to remain silent.

"It's perfect for the villagers." she voiced decisively. "They could set up a kind of communal room here for themselves. It'll be safe and warm for the coming winter."

"Keh." was his non-committal response, never once raising his eyes.

She looked at his face, at the old pain flitting across it that he desperately tried to hide from sight. She favored him with a warm smile, coming to stand at his side, her hand toying with a lock of his hair.

"We'll chase all the old ghosts from this place." she voiced softly.

His eyes rose to hers and her smile widened.

"We'll fill this place with happy memories."

Before he could even respond to her comment, a horrendous scream of agony filled the air. Everyone within the room froze before recovering enough to follow the hanyou already racing down the corridor. Kagome nearly tripped over Inuyasha's crouching form when she reached the bottom of the stairs. He was forbidding her from entering the room. His ears were flattened back against his head, a confused snarl curling back his lips. She followed his intent gaze to a spot across the entryway hall.

One of the women was huddled at the base of a wall, clutching low at her distended belly…

"Oh, Kami! She's giving birth!" the young Miko exclaimed.

Inuyasha's ears snapped up at this. Kaede was already trying to sooth the woman, urging her to sit and let her help.

Kagome turned to the children behind her.

"Get everyone outside and keep them there. You, get some water and clean rags." and they ran off.

She gripped the hanyou's shoulder carefully to gain his attention.

"Inuyasha, go to the wagon and bring back some blankets and pillows."

He looked at her, clearly unsure of the situation or whether it was safe to leave the human girl's side.

She smiled reassuringly.

"It'll be okay."

Inuyasha hesitated but for a heartbeat more before taking off outside. Kagome took the opportunity to race over to help Kaede any way she could. She had never assisted a birth before. It was true, she had seen many films about the process in her Health and Science classes, but being in the presence of the real thing taking place… that was something wildly new to her. She avidly watched Kaede work to prepare the woman, numbly following the older Miko's instructions to aid her. Kagome almost didn't notice Inuyasha's return, his arms loaded with as many pillows and blankets as he could carry.

He obeyed her request to stuff the pillows behind the birthing woman, between her back and the wall, to make her more comfortable, then backed away on all fours to what he deemed was a safe distance. He was both curious and cautious of this event. He could smell the heavy musk of fear and pain emanating from the woman, the bitter scent of pre-birth filtering through. With a low growl in the back of his throat, his ears flattened back in an attempt to mute the cries coming from the woman. She was in agony from the changes her body was going through. Like Kagome, he couldn't tear his eyes away. He absolutely had to see what was happening.

Kaede nodded to Kagome.

"When you feel the next contraction, hold your breath and bare down as hard as you can." the younger Miko instructed the birthing woman, looking to her elder for confirmation. "When I reach ten, you stop. Ready?"

The woman nodded, biting her lower lip. Her eyes shut tight abruptly as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Push hard! Three… Four… Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine… Ten! Breath!"

The woman panted hard, looking up to Kagome for support.

"You're doing fine. A few more, that's all."

The woman winced again as she was hit with another contraction. Again, she held her breath and pushed. The two Miko shouted at her to continue, not to give up, that it was almost over.

The scent of pain was almost unbearably thick on the air to the watching hanyou.

How could any human possibly survive this sort of thing?

There was the mention of a head beginning to show.

"One more hard push and the shoulders will be free." Kagome informed.

Again the woman pushed, a pained cry escaping her lips.

And then, suddenly, a tiny baby's cry filled the room.

Inuyasha blinked, staring at the tiny moving being between the woman's legs that screamed as it took its first breaths. Kaede used a damp cloth to wipe off the after-birth, a small knife appearing in her hand to slice a fleshy rope that seemed to be tied to the whelp's stomach. Kagome moved closer from her kneeling position, a blanket draped across her open arms to receive the child. Kaede handed over the child with a happy smile on her face.

"It is a boy." she grinned. "A fine, healthy boy."

Seeing as there was no danger, the hanyou slowly crept forward to get a better look.

Kagome cooed softly at the bundle in her arms.

"Happy birthday, little man."

The baby whined slightly.

"Oh, I know, kanojo, I know…"

She felt Inuyasha bump into her shoulder accidentally as he peered at the new life.

"Is… is that… birth?"

She smile at him, caught up in the euphoria of the moment.

"Hai."

She turned enough so he could clearly see the new little life she held in her arms. He reached over cautiously, a clawed finger trailing over the new, soft skin with extra care.

"She just had an Obocchan. Haven't you ever seen this before?"

"Never with humans."

The look of wonder and uncertainty on his face made her giggle softly and she handed the child to the new Okaasan, turning to lean on Inuyasha's shoulder. He just stared at Kagome for a moment before returning his gold eyes to the child now sleeping soundly in the woman's arms. It was cute, for a human whelp. Its scent was strange, a mixture of the woman and of someone else. Probably the Otousan… who was dead now. Its skin was dark pink and slightly wrinkled, a fine down of dark hair on its head.

A small grin tugged at one corner of his lips. Someday, he would have pups of his own.

Someday… with Kagome.

He was sure of it.

The once lush green field was now barren, trees and other flora having been consumed by creatures ravenous for any kind of food they could get their claws on. Where the well once stood in the middle of the glade, a large mud structure had been erected. The size rivaled that of some of the tallest and widest manmade structures of the time. From a low, wide opening near its base, countless scorpion beasts streamed in and out with destructive purpose. Two in particular cut through the fray to run inside, heading for the heart of this edifice, ignoring the lashes and snarls of their peers. Their tails and claws were smaller than most of the other creatures. They were scouts, being sent out with the attacking parties to report back to the Mother, She-Who-Was-All.

The duo weaved through a labyrinth of chambers and antechambers, through countless corridors all filled with more scorpion beasts. Bones of innumerable creatures littered the ground, ranging in size from wolves to full-grown youkai. To anyone else witnessing this sight it would have been gruesome at the very least. To the scorpion men, these were merely the remains of a victorious battle where they had feasted well in celebration.

Rounding a last corner the pair quickly entered the vast central chamber. In the middle of this cavity stood a towering figure hunched over the remains of the Hone Kui no Ido. It chanted in a strange tongue, smooth talon tipped fingers caressing the light that seemed to throb from the well's depths. Its scales glistened with a natural dew, glowing almost blue black. A long tail ended in a particularly vicious looking serrated stinger, the occasional drop of venom falling languidly to the ground with a acidic hiss. Long red hair cascaded in a river of fire around its shoulders. It turned to the pair, revealing the naked torso of a woman instead of that of a man like more of those within the hive, her face more human than insect.

"We have newss of the outsside, Great One." one of the scouts began in a guttural hiss, bowing as low as his legs allowed. "We have encountered… problemss."

The female scowled.

"Problems?"

"Four of the warriorss have been killed."

"When?" she demanded.

"The firsst wass killed in the village near here before Your Illusstrioussnesss arrived and built the Hive. A human girl found our weaknesss."

"The remaining three were killed North of here. It wass a human girl and a ssilver-haired hanyou."

"No doubt the same girl both times… A hanyou, you say? Interesting."

She turned back to the well, a look of concentrated thought on her face.

"So that was the power I sensed. Another hanyou's blood."

She paused, stroking the bubble of light protruding from the well. A hanyou… Another hanyou that had survived the human persecution. But it fought alongside a human, a female. Hanyou, all hanyou, sought power. Therefore the girl held power the hanyou at her side wanted. The opportunity that presented itself to her was far too good to pass up.

"This human girl and hanyou… where are they now?"

"Unknown, Great One."

"Send out scouts. Find them. Report back everything and anything you find about them. I want to know what I'm up against and how I can defeat them. No one kills my children."

Higurashi Kagome carefully stepped over a fallen wooden support across the door to enter what she could only describe as a library. The room was long, ending in a window that dominated the far wall, the remaining walls covered from floor to ceiling in shelves stocked with leather manuscripts and scrolls. Some showed signs of European influence, gold leaf decorating the intricate script. This room had survived the destruction wrought by the youkai, but the air held a tinge of must from age and the slow seepage of water.

Kagome took a few steps inside, her eyes scanning the items on the shelves for titles that could interest her, her hands absently smoothing over the rough silk of her hakama. She had received strange glances from the women at her choice, only the white hakama matched with her jeans, but she didn't care. It was warmer than just her bandages and she had already spent the whole of the last two days without more protective garments.

Nearing the window she noticed a line of leather bound books placed in what seemed to be chronological order. There seemed to be years carefully embossed in gold leaf along the spines. She made a quick mental calculation and discovered the last of these books was dated only a few short years after Inuyasha's birth… if she remembered how to count ancient Japanese years correctly. Her fingers lightly trailed over the books in wonder.

"What're you doing here?"

Kagome spun around in surprise, finding Inuyasha in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest in a stance unlike that of scolding. With a hand to her racing heart, she sighed, then straightened defiantly.

"Must you sneak up on me like that?" she snapped.

"Hai."

"Ja-ku." she muttered, turning her attention to the books again.

Choosing one at random, she picked the book off the shelf and opened it to the first few pages. An elegant Japanese script met her eyes, recounting daily events with an almost tender and militaristic attention to detail. She skimmed a few pages before smiling. This would make excellent reading material for her before bedtime. She pressed the closed volume to her chest and turned to leave, only to find that Inuyasha had not budged an inch, still blocking the door. He was still frowning at her.

"What're you doing?" he demanded.

She huffed at him, annoyed.

"Getting something to read."

"Why?"

"Well, unlike you, I want to know what went on here before the youkai attacked."

His eye twitched.

"Nothing went on here."

"So you say, demo until you tell me what it is you know I'll just have to rely on the daimyo's journals to fill in the blanks. Now, let me by."

He stood his ground, growling at her.

She sighed.

"Fine…"

Her shoulders squared defiantly.

"Sit!"

"Fuck!" he exclaimed as the Nenju necklace pulled him down hard to the floor.

Gingerly she stepped over him and headed down the corridor leading outside. She knew it would take only a few brief minutes before the spell wore off and the hanyou would be up and angry. Hopefully he would lie there for a few moments longer and think about why she had subdued him. Kagome knew that was wishful thinking, but one could always hope. Stepping outside into the noonday light, she saw Kaede sitting next to one of the small fires the villagers had built, poking at it absently as she spoke to some of the women.

"Ohayo, Kaede-baba." she greeted, sitting across from her.

"Kagome-sama…"

The elder woman spied the book Kagome held preciously.

"What is that, child?"

"One of the daimyo's journals. I'm hoping to learn more about life here before the youkai came, find out why they attacked."

"Youkai don't need a reason to attack a place." one woman spat angrily. "Why did that hanyou bring us here?"

Kagome couldn't understand this woman's sudden anger.

"Inuyasha thought we'd be safe here."

"Safe? In a place where the youkai murdered hundreds? This place is cursed, filled with evil spirits of the dead wanting revenge! We risk our very lives being here! Everyone knows that every human who has ever stayed here has died, killed by a youkai, and their ghost now haunts the place!"

"It doesn't mean this place is cursed. Besides, those are just rumors and stories made up to scare people."

"It is the truth! This place is cursed!!"

"Calm yourself, Milei." Kaede urged. "This anger serves no one."

"It serves me to show this child that her pet hanyou is not as docile as he lets on."

"Inuyasha is not my pet!" Kagome protested. "And I know how dangerous he can be, I've seen it first hand. I also know he would never intentionally hurt me."

"You're a fool! One moment of rage and he'll kill you as easy as he kills his enemies!"

"He saved your life! He brought us all here, away from those scorpion thingies! Inuyasha could have left all of you behind to fend for yourselves, demo he stayed and protected all of you! I, for one, trust him with my life!"

"Kagome…" Kaede suddenly warned.

"Nani?"

The young Miko turned around to see what Kaede was staring at. The topic of their conversation was standing just within the castle door, staring at her with a strange and concentrated look on his face.

She gulped.

With his sensitive ears she knew he had heard every word of the heated argument.

How would he react to her voicing her complete confidence in him?

The frown remained as he smirked. Then, in the blink of an eye, he raced off for the woodlands just beyond the castle walls. Kagome blinked and turned to Kaede. The older woman grinned reassuringly.

"I believe his departure has more to do with a hunt than with your words, child. Besides, your voicing of your confidence and defending him in this discussion surely pleased him more than insulted him."

"Demo… the look on his face…"

"Do not concern yourself about it, child. He will return no doubt in a few hours. Read your book until then."

"Hai, baba."

True to the old woman's words, by mid-afternoon Inuyasha returned to the protective enclosure of the castle walls, his catch draped as if it were weightless over his shoulders.

The young Miko didn't notice his return though, her nose pressed into the book with great intent. The things the daimyo wrote about and the way he described them, Kagome truly believed that if he had lived in her time that this man would have made a pretty solid living in novel writing. The words evoked vivid images before her mind's eye, stirring up tangible emotions, drawing her into reliving each entry as if she had been there herself.

This was a kind man, he had to be from the heart he put into his words. From what she read his decisions didn't just end after he had spoken them. He thought about them long after the event had taken place. He worried that he had made the right choice, almost tortured himself to make absolutely certain that the people under his charge were well looked after.

And there was always some mention of his Otome…

Something large and heavy dropped at her side, abruptly snapping her away from her reading with a yelp. She peered down at the furry objects next to her in confusion and curiosity, the book pressed to her chest.

"It's a couple of stags." a male voice answered her unspoken question.

Her head snapped around. Inuyasha was sitting at her other side, legs crossed beneath him, arms knit over his chest, gold eyes closed beneath his usual frown. Slowly, Kagome closed her book and laid it on her lap as she stared at the fire. They stayed this way for a few long moments, in a comfortable silence both were used to from years of association. She was plenty satisfied to just sit like this, in silence, so long as he stayed next to her.

But part of her mind was just dying to know.

"Ne, Inuyasha?"

He merely grunted.

"You heard everything of that argument before you left for your hunt?"

"Hai."

He paused, fighting the grin that threatened to spread across his face, and succeeding against it.

"Arigatou." he muttered almost too soft to hear.

It took a few seconds before his whisper registered in Kagome's mind and she blinked.

He was thanking her?

He was actually and truly thanking her?

She allowed herself a small smile as she peered at her companion's features.

"Do you forgive me for subduing you?" she asked meekly.

He turned his nose up and away as if snubbing her.

But she knew better.

Tentatively she reached up and ever so gently scratched him behind his ear.

"Gomen ne, Inuyasha."

After a second his frown finally melted away and he titled his head to her hand. She giggled softly and he tried to growl in annoyance, only succeeding in letting out a soft purring sound.

_Damn the bitch… By the gods! That feels good…! I'll yell at her later… Hai, that's it… much later… _

Unseen by anyone, making sure to keep downwind from the hanyou's sharp senses, a scorpion scout peered down at the castle inhabitants. Its glowing eyes carefully peered at the hanyou and girl's actions, listening to the faint conversation between them, sampling the air to taste the subtle changes in their scents.

The girl's scent had changed at the hanyou's approach. It had become slightly more inviting, hinted with a shy musk of arousal. There was no way the hanyou could have missed that scent.

As for the hanyou's scent, his had changed to one of almost fear mixed with excitement.

A wild scent of a male preparing to choose a mate.

It would explain why he had brought his kills to the girl and not to any of the other women or even the males within the group.

The scout trilled softly to itself, pleased.

She-who-was-all would be most pleased with this information.

Inuyasha stared out over the ocean towards the sun crawling slowly down to the horizon. The sky was slowly taking on a tinge of gold. Soon the ocean would bleed red from the setting sun as the sky would darken, first to dark blue, then to a star studded black.

He grunted to himself.

Seven days.

Seven long days without any sign of the scorpion creatures. All he had seen was smoke in the distance as more villages were razed and a few more refugees had swelled their numbers. The castle ruins were becoming crowded. The survivors of each subsequent attack had run to this place despite the rumors of a curse. Inuyasha scoffed at the idea. This castle certainly was not cursed. Haunted with painful memories of the past, definitely, but a curse…? Never!

A plan was taking shape slowly in his mind. Soon, very soon, he would have to take the battle back to Musashi Country, back to where the entire mess started, and put an end to it once and for all. He couldn't allow these scorpions to take over this land. The center of it all was in Musashi. That was where everything would end.

Happy shrieks reached his ears from so far below, on the beach. Looking down he saw the survivors' children racing each other in the surf, playing chasing games without a care in the world.

And with them was Kagome.

He allowed himself a smile at seeing her this way, her worries gone for the moment. She was chasing a group of children into the shallows, not caring if she got soaked in the process. For the time being, it was just she and a childish game. She stumbled suddenly, falling into the crashing surf and disappearing from sight. When she surfaced Kagome stood fully up, arching her back, and slinging her hair back. The wet locks sent a slim arc of crystal clear water into the air. It sparkled in pinpoint rainbows for just a second before raining back down and splashing off Kagome's back where her haori was now plastered. Even from so far up he could see her bright smile and the laughing twinkle in her eyes. Inuyasha noticed the warm drool on his bottom lip before taking notice of how far down his chin had actually dropped.

"Kami…" he near purred at the sight, then snapped his mouth shut.

_Why didn't I ever notice that about her before? _

He frowned at himself.

_Baka__, you have noticed. You just never let yourself act on it before. _

As he watched he saw her hug herself. He knew that move. Humans did that to comfort themselves when they were frightened or did it to keep themselves warm. And, seeing as there was no immediate danger, it meant she was getting cold. He turned his head, looking down at one of the rare rooms that had survived the devastation. Everything had been meticulously cared for during the last few years leading up to the attack by the youkai. Afterwards, all the care from before had paid off by conserving the items to perfection. There was clothing there Kagome could use.

He turned back in time to see the revelers heading back to the castle, his sensitive ears almost hearing Kagome's teeth chattering. That decided him and he headed for the room.

_That bitch's fascination with water… She'll become fuckin' ill one of these days and she'll fuckin' wonder why. _

In the daimyo's reception hall, Kagome and the children were just returning from their game on the beach, each joining various groups around cooking stoves to warm themselves. Kagome rubbed her arms to warm her numbing nerves, bringing her hands close to the fire to feel its heat and keep her hands from turning blue. Despite it all, she couldn't help her happy smile. It had been a while since she had just forgotten about her responsibilities and had fun for once.

Kaede chuckled at her.

"The exuberance of youth is often catching."

The young Miko sighed happily.

"Best drug in the Universe."

She paused, her smirk fading suddenly.

"Ne, Kaede-baba, what do you know about youkai and hanyou behaviors?"

The old women smiled.

"Ah, so you've noticed."

"Noticed?"

"The way Inuyasha has been acting towards you these last few days."

"Nani? How has he been acting?"

"He has been increasingly protective of you, he brings his kills from the hunt to you… What were you referring to?"

Kagome blushed.

"The… the first night we got here, when we all slept, he… he kept a hold on my neck the whole night."

"Well, that is hardly anything-"

"With his teeth."

"Oh…"

"To a hanyou, what does that all mean?"

Kaede sighed softly, a small grin forming on her lips.

"Holding you in place with his teeth is something dog demons do to their mates, to keep them close. As for the rest… Inuyasha is trying to prove to you that he can be both a good protector and good provider. He wants you to see he can be a good mate for you."

Kagome blinked rapidly, wrapping her mind around what Kaede had just told her.

Mate?

Inuyasha wanted her as his mate?

She felt her heart begin to flutter in her chest, both delighted to know this and afraid to take the next step. Part of her liked the idea, the part that was steadily winning ground away from her trepidations.

"You need to find yourself some warmer clothing for now. With these temperatures, damp clothing is dangerous."

Kagome was just about to answer when a thick, heavy robe was wrapped around her shoulders from behind. Surprised, she looked up. Inuyasha stood at her shoulder, absently surveying the larger group of refugees within the hall. She could just barely hear the low growl rumbling in his chest at the men that were too close for his liking. She smirked; both amused and touched at his protectiveness, and tugged the robe tighter into place.

Then, she brought her eyes on the robe surrounding her and blinked. She had seen this item before, several years ago. A frown furrowed her brows as she tried to recollect her thoughts. It was shortly after the battle with Yura, on that night she had gone to find him to apologize for Myoga-gii's tactless explanation of the hanyou's origins, when they had spoken of his Okaasan-

His Okaasan!

That was where she had seen this robe before. The pattern of gold, red and green was identical. This thick item of silk and fine cotton used to belong to Inuyasha's Okaasan.

But where had he found it?

"Ne, Inuyasha?" she called gently.

One of his ears twitched in her direction.

"Where did you get this?"

She saw his shoulders stiffen. His gold eyes darted around the room quickly, then looked at her, urging her to follow him out. She did so without hesitation. Kagome knew that if he were to tell her anything about his past, he didn't want anyone else within earshot. His past was private and she respected that, no matter how curious she was about it all.

Silently she followed the hanyou out into the corridor, wondering where it was he was taking her through this maze of hallways that he seemed to know so well. Up they went, up a worn stone stairway cut into the cliff-side and down a dark corridor. Kagome had to keep a hand fisted in the back of his haori so as not to be lost in the pitch black. Deeming them far enough from the rest of the group, Kagome just had to ask to be sure.

"Inuyasha? This is your Okaasan's robe, ne?"

She felt his shoulders tense.

"Hai." came his soft answer.

He pushed open a door, letting waning daylight pour into the hallway.

"And this is where I got it from."

Kagome gasped silently.

The large room was pristine, even after so long. Sheer silks of pink and ocher hung near the windows to mute the light filtering through, rich gold and mahogany accented the light tan of bamboo and reed. A square stone fire pit dominated the center of the room. Silver and white bone brushes and powder boxes sat on a low table in front of a modest mirror. Dominating the far wall, behind numerous curtains of sheer gold silks, sat an ornately carved bed covered in yet more silk and a material that Kagome could have sworn was velvet. Plush pillows were everywhere. The entire room was beautiful, yet understated in that elegance.

Exactly like what she had seen of Inuyasha's Okaasan.

"This was her room." the hanyou stated softly, almost as if afraid of waking some long dead spirit in the room.

He walked over to the bed and placed a hand on the sheets, his fingers splaying across the silk.

"I have… vague memories of spending time here, watching her preen, sleeping here at night…"

Kagome watched his fist grip the sheets for a brief moment before releasing the silk to let it fall back into place.

"You must have loved her… very much."

"She was my whole world."

She hesitated as she tentatively approached him; digging for her courage to ask him what had been on her mind since arriving at this castle.

"The daimyo… he was your Jii-chan?"

An angered frown appeared on his face.

"Hai." he growled.

Kagome sat on the floor at the foot of the bed, tugging on his sleeve.

"Inuyasha, would… would you tell me about your past here?"

He blinked at her in surprise. She hadn't demanded to know, instead giving him the option to talk about it if he chose to.

And he chose to.

Taking a moment to sit next to the human girl and collect his thoughts, Inuyasha exhaled heavily. He looked around the room pensively.

"Okaasan so loved it here. I can remember days where she would tell me story after story of her life here. I listened, but didn't care much for them. I never forgave that bastard daimyo for what he did to Okaasan." he ended in a growl.

"What did he do?"

"Sent her away."

"Why?"

"Because she had a hanyou for a child."

His frown deepened.

"I didn't understand it at the time, but I did later. Who could possibly want a fuckin' half breed in their family?"

His lip curled in a growing snarl.

"Okaasan cried for days after she was chased out. She found a monastery not far from here and the monks took us in, but even they didn't accept me. I could see it in their eyes."

In a show of sympathy, Kagome laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"She worked in the monastery, feeling she needed to earn her keep. Every so often a noblewoman, heading here for some celebration or ceremony, would stop and ask for the women of the temple as their attendants. Okaasan was always chosen and she would hide me in her robes so I could tag along. Everyone acted as if they didn't recognize her, ignoring her. I could hear them whispering… I think Okaasan did too… Her eyes were always so sad…"

"How… how did she die?"

She saw him bite his lip before answering.

"The youkai killed her."

"Why?"

"Hanyou… aren't accepted by either humans or youkai. Humans hate us because they're afraid of what we are. The youkai reason is that we're seen as a weakening of their bloodline. What Otousan did, by siring me with Okaasan… it was unforgivable."

He looked at his clawed hands, a moment of disgust flitting across his face for just a heartbeat.

"Remember that youkai I killed off way back when? Ryuukossei was the one who killed Otousan. As Otousan died I guess he sent Myogi-jii to Okaasan with the black pearl and he sunk it into my eye while I was asleep. All I remember was waking up in her arms as she ran. I could smell the fear all around her."

"She knew they were coming."

He merely nodded.

"I fell out of her arms when she tripped. She told me to run, keep running, never turn back. So I ran and didn't turn back… even after I heard her scream."

Kagome wrapped her arms around his arm to press it tight to her chest in order to keep his close, burying her face in his shoulder. She had known he had gone through a hard childhood, but never, in her wildest nightmares, had she imaged it had been this bad.

Inuyasha merely took the opportunity to rest his cheek to her head, letting her scent fill his nostrils and soothe his mind. Though he never thought he would ever admit it to himself, Kagome was a calming influence on him. The simplest gesture from her was often enough to make all the pain and all the anger just vanish from his soul.

"The youkai followed her scent." he continued. "They came here to teach all the humans a lesson for having let Okaasan bare a hanyou. I saw it all. It didn't take the youkai very long to kill everyone."

The young Miko felt hot tears threatening to spill from her eyes for no other reason than she felt sorry for having made him relive what must have been a very painful moment in his young life.

"I… Gomen ne…" was all she could find to say, wincing at how pathetic it sounded.

He touched one of the hands clutching his arm.

"Don't be. Only my asshole Jii-chan was at fault back then, and those fuckin' scorpion beasties now for making me come back here."

She forced back her tears with a determined squaring of her shoulders, lifting her head to give him a determined look.

"Like I told you a few days ago, we'll chase all the old ghosts from this place. We'll fill this place with happy memories."

Inuyasha met her gaze, blinking for a moment, then a lopsided grin lifted one corner of his lips.

"You are just too positive sometimes."

Kagome smiled and gave his arm a squeeze.

"Mou, out of the two of us, someone has to."

A frown added to his grin.

"Keh."

It succeeded in forcing a giggle from her lips. He freed his arm from her grip and draped it across her shoulders to tuck her form against his side, his cheek to the top of her head. Kagome's eyes went wide in surprise at the move. This was so unlike him. In the past he had made small advances, but nothing ever so affectionate. Then Kaede's words came back to the forefront of her mind and she remembered what prompted his change in behavior towards her. Inuyasha was trying to prove himself to her as a potential mate.

He wanted her.

A wave of tingling warmth washed over her at the thought and she snuggled against him, feeling his arm tighten in response. She let her mind picture what it would be like to live the rest of her life with the painfully adorable hanyou. He could be gentle if he wanted to, she had often seen it in his eyes; the wanting to be kind and tender only to push it away lest he lose the hard edge that had kept him alive so many years. Kagome imagined a life that would be free of danger, since he would never let anything come near enough to hurt her, and it would be a life filled with adventure and passion.

_Hai__, I could live with that… with him,_ she grinned to herself.

"The room's yours." she heard his state in a half whisper, chasing away images of what their children would look like.

She looked up at him.

"Nani?"

"I noticed how you weren't especially comfortable sleeping down there with the others."

"Oh… I'm just not able to relax enough to sleep around so many people."

He grunted.

"And I don't trust half the males down there. That's why I'm giving you Okaasan's room."

Inuyasha gave the room and appreciative glance.

"She would've approved."

Something soft and pleasant touched the hanyou's cheek, electrifying his nerve endings suddenly.

"You are just the best, Inuyasha." his abruptly muddled mind faintly registered, shortly before he saw a blur of red and gold go racing for the door.

"I'll go get my sleeping bag!"

Inuyasha merely sat there, a dazed look on his face as his hand numbly rose to touch his cheek. His mind was racing, trying to figure out what had just happened.

She had kissed him… of her own free will.

Spontaneously.

A slow goofy grin spread across his features as he stared down the way she had disappeared in. He had no idea something so simple as giving her a robe and then her own room to sleep in would result in such a pleasant reward. His grin turned mischievous abruptly. He wondered what other acts would get him more of the same… if not more. He shook his head to push those thoughts away, chuckling to himself. There would be time enough to find that out later when she was more comfortable with his advances and figured out what it was he expected from her. Vaguely he wondered if she knew yet. She had to suspect something, what with him bringing his kills directly to her.

To any youkai or hanyou, that was a clear signal.

_But that's just it_, he self-reasoned. _She's not youkai or hanyou. She's human._

His musings were abruptly interrupted by the sound of running coming up the corridor. Inuyasha quickly got to his feet just as Kagome came running in, pressing herself back against the wall next to the door. Her sleeping roll and a couple of books were held clutched tight to her chest, which heaved as she struggled to regain her breath.

"I think I'll just lock myself away in here for the rest of my life." she panted.

"Kagome?"

"Tell me he didn't follow me?" she questioned more to herself, peeking cautiously down the way she had come from.

Inuyasha bristled, feeling jealous anger rising quickly.

"He? He who?"

Kagome looked at him with an almost pleading expression.

"The one guy you would just love to rip apart."

"Nani?"

He sniffed the air in curiosity, a vicious snarl twisting his face as he recognized the scent, preparing to lunge down the corridor.

"That fuckin' little wolf bastard!"

She quickly gripped his arm to restrain him.

"Iie, Inuyasha, matte!"

He paused, feeling a painful twinge in his heart. Even after so long, after everything, she was still protecting the wolf youkai, Kouga.

Kagome saw the hurt in his eyes and quickly shook her head.

"Iie, it's not that." she began hastily in explanation, hoping to appease his pain that caused her own heart to tighten. "I don't think Kouga knows I'm here. I don't think he knows you're here either. For one more night, let us both have some peace and quiet… just the two of us." she ended with a shy grin.

He blinked at her, his mind abruptly catching up to what she was saying.

Just the two of them.

Inuyasha definitely liked the sound of that. He nearly smirked, but Kagome saw the gleam in his gold eyes. Her grin turned into an accusing smirk.

"Hentai."

He straightened in protest.

"Not even!"

"Sure, like I believe that." she returned sarcastically, moving towards the bed on which to lay out her bedroll.

"I wasn't--!"

"Tsk… Miroku really was a bad influence on you." she teased, unrolling her sleeping bad with a quick flick of her wrist.

She heard him growl in annoyance somewhere behind her and her grin grew wider. Deliberately keeping her back to him, Kagome unfolded her sleeping bag so it now lay across the bed as a thick blanket. It would be quite a change from the last few days, actually sleeping on a mattress instead of the hard floor. That was one of the only things she missed about her time, along with hot running water. She plopped herself down on the edge of the bed with a sigh, her thoughts drifting to all those displaced survivors now residing in the castle's receiving hall.

"Nani?" Inuyasha queried of the look.

"Just thinking…"

He smirked.

"You think too much."

With a pout she tossed a pillow at his head, which he deftly caught.

"Baka! I was thinking about what we're going to do about all the people downstairs. They can't all stay here."

It was his turn to sigh.

"I know."

"Any ideas?"

"Well, I had thought about taking the fight to the scorpion beasties and somehow re-take Musashi…"

"They're not fighters. No one would survive a direct attack." she countered. "We don't even know how many of them there are."

"Which is why I decided against it. From what I heard of the survivors, I'd guess there're a few thousand of them."

Kagome looked down at her hands for a moment before looking up at him in defeat.

"Seems hopeless, ne?"

He stood ramrod straight in defiance.

"Nothing is hopeless so long as we're still alive."

A small smiled tugged at her lips at his conviction.

"Role reversal." she muttered.

"Nani?"

She winced.

Forgot about those ears of his.

"Never mind." she dismissed, picking up one of the books.

Inuyasha frowned, cocking an eyebrow at her as he watched her settle at the head of the bed with her back to the headrest, legs tucked beneath her comfortably, then shrugged to himself.

"Reading that bastard's journals isn't good for you. He'll rot your mind." he voiced after a short moment of silence.

"It's actually pretty good. He has some vivid imagery in some places."

"Keh."

"It really is good. He talks about your Okaasan a lot."

"Insults?"

"Regrets… for sending you both away."

He blinked, both surprised and confused. The man he had hated for so many decades, had despised because he had broken his Okaasan's beautiful heart, had felt regret for sending them both away. It didn't make sense to him. Inuyasha took a hesitant step forward.

"Where… where does he say that?"

She smiled at him gently and patted the bed at her side, indicating for him to have a seat there. He hesitated, still unsure, then crawled across the bedding to her side. But instead of leaning back against the headboard, Inuyasha laid his head on her lap as a child sometimes does. Kagome stared down at the back of his head with wide, shocked eyes. This was completely different than what the hanyou would usually do in a situation like this. She was vaguely aware of her own fingers tentatively reaching for his head until her fingers dug into his hair. A rumbling sigh escaped his lips, pleased at her touch, his cheek rubbing against her thigh contently. Kagome bit her bottom lip to suppress a giggle and, feeling a mite bolder, gently toyed with his ear, sometimes scratching, sometimes caressing. He all but purred, taut muscles going slack.

"Read to me." he murmured.

She smiled at him, opening the journal to the passage she somehow knew he wanted to hear.

_"No matter how long I live I will forever remember this day as they day I should have committed seppuku. I knew the moment she was with child that I would be forced into a situation that was beyond my control. I managed to postpone this day as long as I could, demo I could not postpone it forever. The look on Yamazakura's face tore at my heart." _

_"A thousand curses on my council for having forced my hand in this matter, those heartless bastards.__ Their threat was either of dishonor on my family name for all eternity or the killing of her and the child… it was too much. I would not have them kill her and my Magomusuko." _

_"Her Obocchan… An amazing child. It doesn't matter what his Otousan was. I accept him as he is. He was beautiful and innocent and I would have loved him. I could see him as an amazing warrior in his adult years, agile with the sword, cunning, swift as an arrow. I never saw his demon blood as a curse as my council said it was. It made him as powerful as he was beautiful." _

_"As I watched Yamazakura leave with those tears in her eyes, I saw the hate in Inuyasha's eyes, hate for me. I understand him. I hate myself. I hate myself for having exiled my own flesh and blood. Whatever karma I am due for this act I will gladly accept. Inuyasha would have protected his family from anything had I kept them close. I would have taught him myself, taught him all my skills as my Ojiisan and Otousan had done with I." _

_"Gomen nasai, Kami-sama.__ Gomen nasai, Inuyasha." _

Kagome felt Inuyasha's breath shudder in his chest as he tried to come to terms with what she had just read to him. She threaded her fingers through his hair in a gentle caress, trying to be as comforting as possible.

"He… he didn't hate us… didn't hate me…"

His voice was a bare whisper filled with incredulity.

"He sent you away to save your life." Kagome soothed.

"It wasn't his fault at all. All these years…"

"Shhh… It's a lot to take in right now. You don't have to make any decisions on this tonight. Sleep on it and make the decision only when you feel ready."

He nodded slowly against her leg and his hand tightened hesitantly on her knee.

"Can I sleep here tonight?"

She smiled down at him warmly, stroking his hair.

"Of course."

Again she felt him hesitate before finally lifting his head from her lap, scooting back a few inches to one side of the bed to allow her to stretch out. He gave her just enough time to slip beneath the covers before wrapping his arms around her tightly, pressing her back flush to his chest. Kagome bit her lip to stifle the gasp caused by the feel of his breath against her nape and the gentle rumble in his chest vibrating through her back. She forced her body to relax, allowing the warmth that radiated off his body to lull her to sleep.

A smile appeared on her lips with a blissful sigh.

This was definitely something she could get used to if she became his mate.

Inuyasha heard the soft sigh and raised his head enough to see her face. Her smile brought one to his own face. He nuzzled the junction of her neck and shoulder before biting with carefully measured pressure, enough not to break the skin. She gasped softly, but the smile remained. He smiled against her skin, his arms tightening.

He would give her a few more days to get used to his subtle advances and then make his intentions plainly clear. All he had to do during that time would be to keep Kouga away from her.

You are mine, Kagome, he vowed internally. And in a few days, everyone will know it.

Akuma Sasori, her thin hands pressed hard to the well's lip, frowned into the pulsing bubble of light. Her powers were not strong enough to open the portal any further than it already was. It frustrated her that she wasn't able to pull through more of her own kind.

A tiny smirk curled her lips at the memory.

Endless years of pouring over spells and ancient manuscripts to finally find the one spell to open a gateway to a world filled with half-scorpion beings. For a while she had been determined to make that world her home, to live there with the only beings who would accept her.

And what a welcome they had arranged for her once they discovered her among them.

Akuma had been immediately elevated to the rank of goddess. With such a great army behind her, obeying her every wish, it didn't take long for the seed of vengeance to grow. So she ripped open the fabric of space once again and brought her children through to the world where she had only known pain.

Hanyou could only know pain.

It was their lot in life.

So how dare this new hanyou she had heard about know something other than the pain and hate she had known!

The scouts had been thorough in their investigations, keeping the hanyou and this strange girl in their sights at all time. Mentally she went over what each scout had reported.

Every successful hunt, the hanyou would bring his kills to the girl and only the girl.

He protected the girl, watched over her as she went through her daily routine.

The girl did not shun him or run away, often hugging him or holding his hand.

One of the latest of the reports was of the hanyou actively fighting with a wolf youkai who was also interested in the girl. These fights happened frequently, sometimes the youkai would win, sometimes the hanyou would win. Either way, the girl always went to the hanyou in concern.

But the one thing that caught Akuma's attention the most was the report from her scout that had reported a change in the pair's scent, both inviting and anxious about something both seemed to know would happen someday soon.

Could it be?

Could it be possible that the human girl actually felt something for the hanyou, something other than hate or revulsion?

_Iie__, hanyou are not meant to know love or affection!_ her mind cursed. _A hanyou will always be alone in life. We cannot have a family, past or future. _

But the girl was intriguing.

Why didn't she run away from the hanyou each time he approached her?

She was a mystery.

"I want that girl…" she breathed to the empty chamber.

"I must know why…"

Kagome sighed happily, enjoying the cool sea breeze blowing past her and the light warmth of the setting sun. The cliff was higher than she was used to climbing, but it offered one of the most breathtaking views of the region imaginable, especially at sunset. She rested her chin in her hands, elbows on her knees, and closed her eyes with a smile.

For the next few minutes she would have peace and quiet… she hoped.

Ever since Kouga had gotten whiff of her scent in the castle he had made it his duty to stick to her side like glue. He couldn't seem to understand that she just wasn't interested in him the way he wanted her to be. And his constant attention only served to anger Inuyasha. It was as if the wolf youkai enjoyed taunting him, to see just how far Inuyasha would let him go before being beaten to a bloody pulp.

Truth be known, at this point, Kagome would not even try to stop him.

She used to be flattered by Kouga's undying attention and affection. Now, it was annoying. He was acting like some lost puppy dying to have her affection, no matter how small.

Kagome snorted, looking out at the now dark blue horizon.

_Now there's an analogy. Calling wolf boy a puppy… Wolf boy? I've been hanging around Inuyasha too long. _

The crunching of stone under boot abruptly caught her attention and she groaned inwardly.

_Why can't you get a clue and leave me alone! _

"Ah, I finally found you without that dog turd." Kouga stated in obvious glee and triumph.

"Go away, Kouga."

"Not until you and I have a talk first."

"I'm not interested in what you have to say."

"As my woman you should be interested."

"I am not nor will I ever be your woman." she countered, forcing as much anger as she could in her voice.

"Hai, you are. You just haven't realized it yet."

Kagome sighed in exasperation and got to her feet, making a move to brush past him.

"Have fun talking to yourself."

Kouga grabbed her wrist in a crushing grip.

"You'll stay here and listen to me, woman!"

It was a clear order.

The young Miko felt the sting of her hand connecting hard with Kouga's face before she even registered the move. He released his hold on her in surprise, taking a staggering step back. Kagome blinked wide-eyes at him, watching him nurse the red welt forming on his cheek. She looked at her hand in self-awe.

"Chikushou, I wanted to hit him!" a voice announced from behind her.

She whirled around to find Inuyasha watching them both, a frown on his face, an amused twinkle in his gold eyes. Kagome smirked at him, tending her stinging hand.

"You still can, if you want." she offered.

Inuyasha looked to Kouga and grunted.

"Iie, waste of energy."

Kouga bristled.

"Ooi!"

The hanyou looked to Kagome's hand in concern, carefully taking her wrist and opening her hand to see her palm.

"Are you alright?"

He carefully caressed her palm with the length of a finger as if to soothe away the redness beginning to show. She struggled against her racing heartbeat to bring it back down to normal.

"H-hai, just stings a little. I'll be okay in a bit."

"Ooi!" the wolf youkai tried again, hoping to get their attention, with little success.

"That was some hit." Inuyasha praised, completely ignoring his once rival for Kagome's affection. "Kind of surprised you didn't break your hand on such a hard head as his."

"I didn't even notice I was going to hit him until I actually hit him."

"He finally crossed the line?"

"He did a long time ago. I'm just too nice and patient a person to have told him before. I was hoping he was smart enough to get a clue."

"Obviously not." the hanyou grunted with a smirk.

"Ooi!" Kouga called again, incensed. "What am I, rat bait?"

The duo looked at him in annoyance.

""Hai."" both stated in unison.

Kagome immediately covered her mouth, a blush tinting her cheeks, her eyes wide as she stared at the amused half demon. He chuckled at her surprised expression. Inuyasha then quickly swept her up in his arms, forcing a tiny squeak from her lips.

"Bedtime." he announced.

"Mou, since when do you decide what time I have to go to bed?"

"Since I've decided it's getting colder out here. That, and with the scorpion beasties around, it's not safe for you to be outside at night." And he started back for the castle.

Kagome giggled.

"My protector."

"And just where do you think you're taking my woman?" Kouga suddenly demanded, feeling very ignored.

Inuyasha paused just long enough to turn and frown at him, growling low in warning. Kouga responded to the growl with one of his own. Kagome sighed tiredly, aware of the signs that this could escalate into a full-blown fight at any given moment. She added her frown to Inuyasha's, succeeding in getting the wolf youkai to quiet in surprise.

"Kouga, you already have someone who actually wants to be your mate." she told him with far more patience than she felt. "This is the last time I'm telling you so make sure you listen very carefully. I am not your woman, mate, partner, or however else you call it. I don't want to be your mate… ever! Just accept it already."

Before the wolf youkai could voice any kind of protest, Inuyasha turned and leapt off the edge of the cliff, easily bounding from outcropping to outcropping until he reached the castle walls. With the skill only possessed by a hanyou, he walked along the narrow enceinte walls and leapt the short distance to the window to the room that now belonged to Kagome. He felt a tremor course through her as he set her down.

"Are you cold?"

She smiled at his concern.

"I'm alright. Just wishing I could soak in a hot bath for a few hours."

He cocked an eyebrow at her in curious mystification

"You and your fascination with water."

"Ne, you're not going to complain about my wanting to be clean and smell nice?"

His mouth opened to answer.

Then he paused.

"Keh." was the reply he finally settled on.

Kagome smirked at him.

"That's what I thought."

She shed out of her thicker outer robe as she moved towards the bed, tossing it at the foot of it where it could be in easy reach if needed. As she began to pull down the blankets, she paused, turning to the window. Inuyasha hadn't moved from his crouch on the sill, his gold eyes surveying the night beyond. One ear was trained on the sounds outside while the other followed Kagome's every move.

"Aren't you coming to bed?" she questioned timidly, blushing despite the innocence behind the query.

Inuyasha blinked.

_Now that just sounded way more hentai then I bet she was thinking. _

He tore his eyes from the night and confirmed his thought at the sight of her blush. He smirked inwardly. Even if he had been completely blind, and despite the darkness in the room, that blush was as visible as the sun in the sky. He gave himself a mental shake.

"I just need to check something first. I'll be back in a bit."

"Mou…" she pouted, not intending for him to hear.

He paused just before he was about to jump away and looked at her, favoring her with a lopsided grin.

"Don't miss me too much."

Kagome launched a pillow at his head, hitting the window's edge instead since he had already gone.

With a wide smile plastered on his face, the silver-haired hanyou leapt through the jagged outcroppings of the cliffs. His smile was due to the woman he had just left behind. During the last few days he had made it a point to stay around her, not crowding her, but just close enough for her to subconsciously get used to his presence. He even slept in the same room, on the bed at her insistence. Her reason had been that the floor was much too cold to sleep on, even if he insisted he didn't feel it. And every night he slept at her side he would bite the base of her neck to keep her from ever leaving his side.

She never once fought it.

In fact, by her actions as they settled for the night, she had come to expect it. He even saw her eyes question him from time to time when he didn't do it right away, but only when she thought he wasn't looking.

For now he was searching for a place he vaguely remembered as a child. Back then his Okaasan would risk the climb along the cliffs to a cave hidden under the lip of an outcropping. Most of the coastline consisted of volcanic vents, the ones nearest the castle were hidden within the cliffs. One of the vents had formed under a hidden tide pool that stayed clean of growths, perhaps the action of the water filtering through the porous stone or the sand.

If his Kagome wanted a hot bath, she would get one… if he could find the cave after so long.

One crevasse in the rock face caught his eye and he stopped. The air smelled of heated water from somewhere within. The entrance was just wide enough for a person to get through without scraping along both walls. After a few feet the crevasse opened to a sort of grotto, an open space of sand, ancient limestone structures, and a pool of steaming water. The low ceiling was occasionally peppered with holes leading outside, ancient volcanic vents letting cooler air into the small and cozy chamber. Inuyasha approached the stone and boulder-rimmed pool, dipping his hand in the steaming water.

He smiled.

Kagome would definitely enjoy this hot water spring.

A sly chuckle forced itself from his throat. Maybe he would join her in this bath.

Looking around the small room in satisfaction, Inuyasha nodded to himself and left. Sometime in the next day he would present the pool as another gift to his potential mate. Leaving the cave, he paused just within the entrance, scanning the shadows and sampling the air to check and see if anyone had followed him. If anyone did, he couldn't find any sign of it. The wind was against him and the shadows were empty. Inuyasha was mildly surprised Kouga didn't try anything against him.

Maybe what Kagome said finally sunk in to his thick skull…

With a slight shrug he leapt away back to the castle. He crawled through the window, staying as quiet as possible so as not to wake the occupant. Approaching the bed, silently parting the reams of silk handing from the ceiling, he found Kagome sitting up against the headboard, obviously asleep. He smiled at how adorable she was when she was sleeping. Careful not to awaken her, Inuyasha slid the covers back from her legs, then gently eased her down to lie on her back. Despite his best efforts not to wake her, Kagome shifted slightly, her eyes opening somewhat.

"Inuyasha…?" Her voice was groggy.

He pressed a hand to her brow tenderly.

"Go back to sleep."

She made a small sound in acknowledgement and shivered.

"Your hands are cold."

"Baka. Because it's cold outside." he replied matter-of-factly, tucking the covers up to her chin.

Blindly, she reached out at her side and snagged the edge of the covers, pulling them down. It was a clear invitation. Again, Inuyasha smiled at her before crawling to the other side of the bed, sliding under the warm covers and tugging her body back tight to his chest. She didn't resist, only settling happily against him and awaiting the now familiar feel of his lips and teeth against her neck. She didn't have long to wait and soon the rumble in his chest had her drifting off into a deep and contented sleep.

Kouga watched from the safety of the shadows just beyond the door. He had seen the hanyou leave Kagome alone in the room as he went searching for Kami knew what. The wolf youkai saw his chance to finally confront her about her earlier statement, if only he could catch her off guard so she could not protest. It didn't matter what she thought, her choice was not a deciding factor. He was the male, therefore the decision was his to make which female was going to be his mate.

Kagome was his choice.

So why did she refuse his every advance?

Each time the hanyou dog had left for his daily hunt, Kouga had followed, hoping to catch a larger prey and somehow impress his intended. Large animals were rare in the area so he settled for the occasional stag or boar. The first few times he had gone on these hunts he had laughed at Inuyasha for bothering to catch such small prey as rabbits and quail along with the larger kills. Kouga had brought his much larger kills back to the castle, displaying them in the center of the parade grounds for all to see.

Then, two days ago, he had noticed the reason for the smaller prey caught by the hanyou. Upon his return, the dog demon would place the stag he caught with Kouga's kills, then come right up to Kagome and present her with the smaller prey. She had smiled brightly at the hanyou in appreciation and thanks.

Kouga knew Inuyasha often fought with him for the girl's attentions and affections, but did this new behavior mean he was taking a more active stance to claim her outright?

_Iie__, she's my woman! _

Seeing Kagome dozing off at the head of the bed, Kouga prepared to sneak out of the shadows to claim her for his own when he heard the familiar scrape of claws on stone. Inuyasha appeared in the window, walking boldly towards the bed and towards the sleeping girl.

The youkai blinked in realization.

Every night Kouga would see Kagome head off to one of the castle's upper floors. Some of the villagers had explained to him that she had taken residence in one of the rooms up there for the nights. Kouga had tried to follow her for the first few nights, only to be stopped by Inuyasha who guarded the door to the room. The wolf youkai would retreat for a few hours, then try again. Inuyasha was no longer in sight by then, but his scent proved he was still nearby. Seeing as this happened every night, Kouga gave up, mildly wondering where it was the hanyou slept at night to be so invisible to the eye.

Now he knew.

As he watched, Inuyasha tenderly settled the lovely human into a more comfortable sleeping position, whispering for her to go back to sleep when she woke slightly from his touch, and then climb into the bed next to her, pulling her close.

_Do not bite her! Don't you dare bite her!_ Kouga's mind screamed.

There was a momentary flash of white before Kagome sighed a peaceful smile. Kouga seethed.

_That fuckin' dog turd! How dare he try to claim my woman! I'll have his fuckin' hide for this! _


	2. Part 2

8 September 2003

A very heartfelt arigatou to Logan Kale to all his tireless help with getting me through my walls (literally) in writing this fic. Most of this story would have never been written without your cracking of the whip, biting of my shoulder, and constant growls in the background.

If ever a better inspiration of Inuyasha existed I haven't met him yet

Domo Arigatou!!!

Souto, Houshi, Bouzo - monk ---- Kami - God ---- Otouto - younger Brother ---- Aisai - beloved wife ---- Untenshi - mate ---- Onna - woman ---- Hanshu - General ---- Aniyome -Sister-in-Law ---- Osanago - little child ---- Hanyou - half demon ---- Youkai - demon ---- Iie - no ---- Oniisan, Nii-chan - older brother ---- Onesan - older sister ---- Hai - yes ---- Onegai - please ---- Demo - but ---- Gomen nasai - forgive me ---- Gomen ne - sorry ---- Sayonara - goodbye ---- Nani - what ---- Mou - sound accompanying a pout ---- Arigatou - thanks, thank you ---- Oi, Ooi - hey ---- Ne - right, hey ---- Ohayo - hello, hi ---- Matte - wait ---- Ihyou - surprise ---- Honto - really ---- Reijin - beautiful woman ---- Shan - beautiful ---- Koi - love ---- Koishii - beloved ---- Sugoi - amazing ---- Koibito - lover ---- Anchi - disliked person ---- Aishiteru - I love you ---- Baka - idiot ---- Ja-ku - jerk ---- Jinkouteki - unnatural ---- Ikeike - bitch ---- Kokuhyou - Hell ---- Kaibutsu - monsters ---- Shimatta - damn it ---- Seppuku - suicide ---- Chikushou - damn ---- Hentai - sexual, sex obsessed ---- Oushikuso - bullshit ---- Kuso - shit ---- Teishu - master ---- Kobushi - feudal warrior ---- Domo Arigatou - thank you very much ---- Dorei - slave ---- Hi-Nezumi - fire rat ---- Haori - formal coat ---- Hakama - formal shirt ---- Taiji - exterminator, extermination ---- Hiretsukan - bastard ---- Shatei - my younger brother ---- Tanechigai - half brother ---- Ojiisan, Jii-san, Jii-chan - grandfather ---- Odoufa - spell scroll ---- Obocchan - son ---- Otome - daughter ---- Otousan, Tou-san - father ---- Okaasan, Kaa-san – mother

**Bond of Blood**

Written by : The MOUSE

Co-written by : Logan Kale

Wind whipped by her face as Kagome clung to Inuyasha's back.

"Where are we going?"

"I told you, it's a surprise." he answered simply, bounding to another outcropping.

Resigned to the fact he wouldn't tell her anything until they reached where ever it was they were going, she settled against his back with her face buried in his hair. She felt his shoulder muscles tighten, the sureness of his leaps faltering only slightly. She smiled, pleased that she was able to elicit such a reaction in him. It was slightly empowering to know that she could make him lose control with the barest of touches. Raising her head slightly she saw their destination from just over his shoulder. It was a break in the cliff's side, barely wide enough for a broad-shouldered man to walk through. Inuyasha walked right up to it.

"Close your eyes." he instructed.

"Nani?"

"It's a surprise, remember? So close your eyes."

Kagome pouted, but obeyed when she realized he wouldn't take another step. She could feel the darkness within the cave envelope them and she tightened her hold on the hanyou's back, more out of instinct than fear. The ambient air gradually grew warmer and more humid the further into the cave they got.

"Inuyasha?"

"Almost there."

He peeked at her from over his shoulder. Part of him hoped beyond hope that she would like his surprise. Earlier that day he ad enlisted the help of many of the refugees' children to aide him in setting up the cavern just ahead. The young girls had seemed to know what it was he wanted, the boys were perfectly clueless until the girls began to issue their orders.

Like perfect little soldiers.

Entering the cavern he blinked in awe, glad he had asked for the children's help in the first place. Carefully he eased Kagome off his back and came to stand behind her, his hands over her eyes.

"Mou…" she pouted.

Inuyasha guided her forward a few steps. He gave the cavern an appreciative glance before dropping his hands away, taking a step back.

"Now you can look."

Her eyes fluttered open to a sight she had only ever imagined before. Yet, now, there it was before her. The cavern had been strategically covered with wildflowers, thick moss and carpets of leaves covering ugly stone and sharp edges. Daylight filtered through holes in the cave's ceiling, casting a soft light with which to see by, that light brightening and dimming from the action of clouds passing before the sun occasionally. A golden orange insinuated itself into the light, a signal that the sun was beginning to set outside. Bamboo mats covered most of the ground, scattered with petals from flowers, and a pile of towels were neatly rolled up next to a steaming hot water spring. Kagome spun in place slowly, wanting to take in ever last detail. Her lips moved, but she was unable to make a sound as if afraid to break this dream. She turned to Inuyasha in awed disbelief.

"You… you did all this?"

"With the village pups. I told them what I wanted, they did the rest. Bright little whelps."

"When…?"

"Last night. You said you wanted a hot bath and I remembered this place."

He stumbled a step back when she threw herself at him, her arms wrapped tight around his neck. It took only the barest heartbeat to react and hold her just as tight to himself. He enjoyed the embrace for as long as it lasted, his nerve endings snapping to life when he felt her lips brush the edge of his jaw.

"You are just the absolute best, Inuyasha." she breathed into his hair.

They pulled apart, staring at each other with an awkward silence before Inuyasha turned his back to her, letting her strip in protected privacy to bathe. Kagome smiled at his back in gratitude. He could be impossibly sweet and considerate when he wanted to. Trusting that he wouldn't turn and peep, she quickly shed out of her robes and jeans, setting them on a nearby rock shortly before slipping into the soothingly warm spring.

She sighed happily.

"This is bliss."

Inuyasha risked a peek over his shoulder, smiling softly. Her back was to him, water glistening off her pale flesh like diamonds in the dim light. Every instinct he had was screaming to just leap into the pool with her and take what his demon blood was begging for, but he fought it back. He would not give in to his base urges and force himself on her. That would label him as no less than an animal in her eyes, someone like Kouga.

Inuyasha would wait.

The choice had to be Kagome's in this.

He could ask her, but she had to decide if she wanted to be his mate or not. He had to hear it from her own lips. As he watched she shifted her hair over one shoulder to work out the tangles, revealing the bandages that still covered her back.

"When was the last time someone changed that bandage?" he thought to question.

Kagome looked at him from over her shoulder and saw his gold eyes fixed on her. She was mildly surprised to find him watching her, during her time spent in Sengoku Jidai five years ago she had learned to accept his constant watchful gaze. But the emotion in his eyes was different now. The thinly veiled look of lust made goosebumps rise along her flesh.

"Um… K-Kaede-baba changed them two days ago. She said I was almost healed."

He looked away in thought.

"Two days… Right."

He whirled around and strode purposefully to the pool's edge.

Kagome crossed her arms over her chest, dipping lower into the water to hide herself.

"Wha… What're you doing?"

"Back up over here. That wrap is coming off."

"Nani?"

"Just back up."

She hesitated before taking the few short steps backwards towards him. Her bottom lip became firmly wedged between her teeth when she felt his razor-sharp claws rake across the bandage at her shoulder and low along her ribs. She held the remains against her chest in some form of modesty, letting him inspect what little was left of her old wound. His fingers were impossibly gentle against her skin, dancing across her back with infinite care.

Inuyasha smelled the subtle change in her scent the moment his claws cut through the bandages. He almost purred from the invitation it broadcast to his senses, but he stamped it back down hard. He would not take advantage of her trust, though what he could have possibly done in the past to earn it was beyond him. His let his fingers trail over the remains of the wound, noting the presence of pink skin. Pushing up a sleeve he plunged a hand into the water to retrieve a flat and slightly rough stone. With carefully gauged pressure he rubbed it against her back to allow the new skin to breath, his other hand lightly gripping her nape. Her back arched towards him, giving him better access.

Kagome had to struggle to stay alert during his ministrations. Over and over again she had to tell herself that she was naked in his presence and that a lack of attention could mean just about anything.

_Why not let that anything happen?_ part of her mind questioned.

She squashed the voice back, then paused in thought.

What if she did allow something other than his casual ministrations to happen?

What if she accepted right out to be his mate?

She searched deep in herself, asking her heart if she was really ready to commit her entire life to the beautiful hanyou behind her. Her heart answered yes. She asked her soul the same question and she received the same answer. Her mind too said yes, that her life was already tied to him since the first moment they met.

And there was no denying what her body's choice was in this matter.

"It might itch a little, but you won't need the bandage anymore." Inuyasha voiced, letting the stone he was using drop back into the water.

She smiled at him from over her shoulder.

"Arigatou."

A quick smile flitted across his face before he turned his back to her again, but this time remaining seated on the rocks surrounding the pool. Kagome took the opportunity to peel the remains of the bandage away from her chest, tossing it aside. She let herself sink into the water, swimming to the other side of the pool, then turned to stare at Inuyasha's back. She could see his ears twitching to keep track of where she was even if he couldn't see her.

She giggled at him.

"On guard duty?"

He grunted.

"These days, always."

"Inuyasha, no one knows we're here or even where here is. Besides, you're practically guarding the door and I'm completely naked. There isn't much of a chance that I'm going anywhere for a while yet."

His ears flattened at that.

"I'm that obvious."

"Only to those who know you as well as I do." and she swam over to where he sat.

Biting her lip nervously, she rose out of the water and pressed herself against his back, her arms wrapped around his waist. His body went stiff in surprise, but soon began to relax under the feel of her hand pressed against his heart. His hair was impossibly soft where it clung to her wet body, its simple touch electrifying her senses. She sighed softly, snuggling closer into his silvery white mane.

"I know you don't ever want me to leave you."

She felt him look down at his hands at her light whisper.

"I don't want to leave you either… ever."

She grabbed fistfuls of his haori to add emphasis to her admission.

Inuyasha felt his breath lock in his chest.

She had finally said it!

After days of careful planning and years of painful longing and wishing, she had finally said what he had so wanted to hear.

She was staying… staying with him.

A purring growl rumbled in his chest, a joyful smile plastering itself to his face. Now all he had to do was work up the courage to really ask her to be his mate. But he had to get her at ease for that. A positively devilish grin suddenly spread across his lips at a thought. With the barest flexing of his muscles Inuyasha pushed off the edge of the pool, falling backwards into the water and taking Kagome with him. She shrieked in surprise before hitting the water, pushing away from him underwater, then sputtering as she surfaced, being very cautious to keep herself low in the water for modesty's sake. He merely laughed at her shocked expression, not caring that he was completely soaked. Her shock and annoyance bled away at his laughter, and she giggled despite her best efforts not to.

"You over-grown mutt!" she accused, splashing him.

He splashed her in return and she splashed him back. He disappeared suddenly beneath the water. In a slight panic she curled into herself in an effort to hide parts of her she didn't want him to see… quite yet at any rate. Inuyasha surfaced with a mighty splash and stood with a growl, his arms spread in a menacing manner. Kagome laughed at how ridiculous he looked, with his haori hanging in a sodden mess on him, instead of being frightening as he had hoped. He frowned, taking a step towards her. She reacted by dropping below the water's slightly milky surface and out of sight. He blinked, stepping forward and staring at the spot she used to occupy, his arms dropping a bit. Worry began to rise within him when she didn't surface right away.

"Ihyou!" Kagome shouted from behind him, leaping onto his back with a loud splash.

With his balance suddenly thrown off, Inuyasha fell face first with an unceremonious splash. He recovered quickly enough to turn around and wrap her in his arms before she could move too far out of reach, her arms pinned against his chest. Their laughter slowly died down as both came to the realization of just how naked Kagome was at that moment.

A hot blush crept over her skin, her gaze locked with that of the soaked hanyou. She could feel his heart pounding hard in his chest, mirroring her own heart. Kagome gulped when his gaze softened, becoming unusually tender. Those golden orbs dropped for the briefest moment, looking at her lips, before returning to her dark blue eyes. Goosebumps rose along her flesh in sudden realization of what it was he was about to do, her heart beginning to race.

She saw the hesitation written on his face and knew it was because he was unsure if his next action would be welcomed or rebutted.

Kagome made the decision for him.

Bolstering her resolve, she leaned in towards him and brushed her lips to his in a chaste kiss, her eyes fixed on his for any signs of mistake on her part. His eyes searched hers for an instant when she pulled far enough back for their breaths to continue to mingle. At some unspoken signal both closed their eyes and kissed again, lips pressed firmly to each other. Almost timidly Inuyasha lightly licked at her lips, asking for entrance. They parted with a gentle sigh, allowing him to deepen the embrace, both mutually exploring leisurely, hungrily. Kagome's arms slid up his chest to wrap around his neck, no longer caring about her nakedness, again marveling at how soft his hair was against her skin. All she cared about was the feel of his warm hands sliding along her back and the dizzying heights his kiss was bringing her to.

It was as if she had waited an eternity or eternities for this moment.

His lips left hers, drinking in the water that clung to the delicate arch of her neck, his teeth grazing along her flesh lightly. Kagome couldn't hold back the thrilled gasp when she felt his hand press against the small of her back, sliding ever lower at a languid pace. Inuyasha purred softly at the tremor that coursed through her. Knowing she was finally within his grasp, that she would belong to him no matter what, made his demon blood boil to take her then and there. He fought off the urge, somehow knowing that it wasn't how she would want it. He would fight against every urge his blood whispered and go slowly and tenderly. More than anything he did not want to hurt her and therefore scare her away.

But, by Kami, how he wanted her!

He tangled a hand in her hair to force her to lean back, exposing more of her flesh to his searching tongue as he began to back her towards one of the cavern walls. He kept his ears pointed towards her, wanting to hear every breath, every gasp, every throaty moan she made in response to his touch.

He had to smile at a thought.

He was the one evoking these responses in her, not that damnable Kouga, not that weakling Hojo from her own time, not any other guy.

An involuntary shiver raced up his spine when he heard her whisper his name. Inuyasha licked and nipped his way across her throat and collarbones to find the spot that had caused such a reaction. He wanted to hear her say it again, just like that, somewhere between begging and pure pleasure.

Now, if he could only find a way to remove his clothes while still holding on to her lithe and writhing form.

So concentrated was he on her sounds and scent that he almost missed the smell of an intruder entering the cave, calling out in question for any inhabitants. He froze for a brief moment, and then began growling in annoyance at the cave entrance, having recognized the scent.

With the absence of his lips and teeth robbing her of her will, Kagome regained the use of her once limp limbs, pulling herself out of the prone position Inuyasha had held her in. Briefly she wondered why he had stopped until she heard him growling menacingly. Opening her eyes she found him staring at the cave's entrance. Seconds later she heard the voice his sensitive hanyou ears had no doubt heard long before her. She groaned softly in dismay, burying her face against his shoulder, as she easily recognized the voice.

"Shimatta! Why can't he just leave us alone." she breathed fiercely.

Inuyasha paused, looking at the girl in his arms to the cavern entrance where Kouga's voice was steadily growing louder. Coming to the decision that Kouga would no doubt start a fight if he found them like this, and that Kagome was tired of these fights, the hanyou released his hold on the young Miko and took a hesitant step back. A light tint colored his cheeks as he tried to avert his eyes from her nakedness.

"I… I should hide… for now." he managed to say over his tightening throat.

Kagome immediately felt a sense of loss when he moved away. Feeling suddenly confused about what had almost happened, she let herself sink to her knees in the water, absently watching Inuyasha shake off most of the water from his hair and clothes before ducking behind some large boulders. Her mind replayed the sensations over and over.

Had it really just happened?

Had they almost taken the next logical step in their relationship?

For a little more than half a year after having met the proud half-demon she had harbored a deep-rooted affection for him. Late night dreams, that had often made it to her diary to keep the memory fresh, had left her yearning for them to happen in real life and pondering whether she was ready for such a thing. Those dreams had merely intensified during her five-year absence from Inuyasha's side.

She sat against the edge of the pool, leaning her arms against the rim, toying with a few loose stones. Part of her mind was sorely disappointed about the interruption. She definitely wanted to know just how far they could have gotten had it not been for the annoying intruder. Looking up slightly she saw the source of that disruption just entering the chamber, a smug expression plastered on his face. Kagome winced in annoyed distaste, returning her attention to the stones under her fingers, dearly missing the heat and feel of Inuyasha's body.

"Well, well, well… So I wasn't mistaken, I really did pick up your scent here."

His tone was self-congratulatory and arrogant. Kagome merely turned away from him.

"Go away, Kouga. I want to be alone."

"To get away from that damn half-breed, that I can understand. But why would you possibly want to stay away from me?"

Her hand closed over a loose stone beneath the water.

"You are so full of yourself."

"And yet you love me."

"I do not."

"Of course you do."

"Iie, I don't."

Her hand tightened on the stone. She could faintly hear a growl coming from behind the nearby boulders. Inuyasha was getting more and more riled with each passing moment. Deep down it warmed her heart to know he was so willing to defend her in this, no matter the injuries he could sustain if he got into a fight with the wolf youkai.

But she didn't want him to get hurt over something so trivial as Kouga's infatuation.

"Kouga, leave." she insisted.

"Not until you finally admit it to yourself."

"Admit what?"

"That you want me."

The way he said it made it sound as if the answer was plain and obvious to anyone.

"About as much as I want my head cut off." Kagome muttered loud enough for him to hear. "Now go away."

"Not until you realize that I'm right in this."

Out of sheer frustration she whirled around in the spring and hurled the stone at the youkai, aiming for his head. He ducked the stone in surprise, gaping at the fury he saw glowing in her eyes. A frowning smirk replaced the gape.

"Never knew you had so much fire. Guess I'm going to have to teach you to respect your mate." and he reached for the ties of his clothing, taking deliberate steps towards the pool.

Kagome blinked at this, backing away to the other side of the pool.

"Nani…? Wha-What're you doing?"

"I'm going to teach you exactly who commands who in a pairing."

Before she could even react, a blur of red and slivery white darted out from behind the rocks and pinned Kouga to the ground, a vicious growl filling the cavern. The wolf youkai, completely immobilized, could only stare up at the hanyou in shock. He had been so engrossed by the amount of skin he could see and the heady scent from Kagome that he hadn't even noticed Inuyasha's scent also wafting through the air. The hanyou's golden eyes were flecked with red in pure fury.

Kouga recognized that sign.

It was the first step towards the hanyou's blood rage, and if that happened while the youkai was pinned then Kouga didn't stand a chance. He didn't seem to notice that Inuyasha's hair and clothes were a little damp for some reason.

"You so much as lay a fuckin' hair on her and I'll rip out your fuckin' lungs and feed them back to you!"

When Kouga didn't react to the threat right away, Inuyasha picked him up by the throat and tossed him unceremoniously towards the entrance.

"Get out, now, while you can still walk!" the hanyou barked.

Hitting the ground forced Kouga to regain his senses. He stood quickly, facing off against his rival, trying very hard to match the fury in his eyes spark for spark. Somehow he failed and only succeeded in further angering the hanyou.

"I said leave!" Inuyasha roared.

Kouga looked to Kagome, hoping to get some sort of help or support from her in this matter. He blinked in surprise at finding her back turned to him, doing her best to ignore the happenings. He couldn't believe it. She wasn't even trying to stop the half-breed from attacking him like she had done so many times in the past.

Didn't she care anymore?

Inuyasha didn't let him question her about it, merely shoving the rival through the entrance and following him until they both stood outside. The air had grown colder in the last few hours, forcing Inuyasha to fight off a shiver with every ounce of restraint he had. His still slightly damp clothes didn't help him in this chill. He stood before the crevasse in a classic guard stance, arms crossed defiantly over his chest. Try as he might, he wouldn't let Kouga back into the cave.

He hadn't been blind to what he had almost done to Kagome.

The intent had been all too clear in his words and stance.

_Shimatta, wolf, I wouldn't even go that far to try to claim her from a rival_, he ground inwardly. _Kill the other male, hai. Rape the female… are you fuckin' mad! _

"What the fuck was going through that pea sized head of yours?" he demanded of the youkai.

"She's my female!" he countered. "I can do what I want to her!"

"You really don't listen to her, do you? She's not your female!"

"She will be."

"She'll hate you if you do this."

"I'm simply claiming what's mine by right."

"What fuckin' right? Tell me, what fuckin' divine force told you she was yours? She certainly didn't since she always told me you were only her friend."

Kouga struck a self-righteous pose of superiority.

"You'll never understand what she and I have."

"The way I see and hear it, you have nothing with her."

"I have a whole lot more than you can ever hope to have."

"Not fuckin' likely."

"And just what were you doing in there with her? Spying?"

"Guarding." he answered quickly. "From assholes like you."

His hand gripped the hilt of his sword, making a point to make sure Kouga saw the move.

"If you so much as try anything against her from this moment on, know that I will kill you. Leave. Now."

Pausing to offer one last growl at the hanyou, Kouga turned and fled back to the castle. Inuyasha squared his shoulders unconsciously in victory. He'd have to keep a closer watch over that youkai to make sure nothing would happen to Kagome.

Keeping her safe was his duty.

He paused in his own thoughts. Safety was something he couldn't guarantee the object of his affection, especially not after he would take her as his mate. The world would find out she was his and try to use her against him. She would become a target to all his enemies.

"You know, you can be quite rational when you want to be." a giggling voice sounded behind him, calling him out of his thoughts.

He turned to find Kagome grinning at him just within the edge of the crevasse, clutching her robes tight around her to block out the cold, her dark hair hanging in damp rivulets.

He blinked at her.

"Nani?"

"I heard what you said to Kouga. Arigatou."

He looked away, a faint blush touching his cheeks at having been heard.

"Keh… Head back to the castle."

She looked at him strangely before he abruptly took off, leaping from rock to rock until she could no longer see him. Part of her wondered if he was going after Kouga to punish him properly for interrupting them earlier. The remaining part felt suddenly alone. It wasn't like the feelings she had experienced before, not like being home alone or in a classroom alone. This was deeper, just skimming the edge of her soul.

Needless to say she didn't like the sensation.

She shivered, more from the feeling than from the chill in the air, and reluctantly began her trek back to the castle. Almost in self-torture she replayed the last little while over and over in her mind's eye. The look in Inuyasha's eyes when he had held her close had stolen her breath. There was want glowing in the golden orbs. His kiss and the feel of his hands against her skin had communicated the same.

It explained so much.

All those days and nights in the past where he had put his life on the line for her.

All those nights he had sat up close at her side to guard her as she slept.

All those moments she had found strange when he had been unusually gentle and patient with her.

It all made sense now.

His feelings for her ran deeper than she had first realized. At first, she had only been a Shikon no Tama shard detector for him. Along the way she had somehow managed to win his friendship. She sighed softly. And she had pushed him away all those times, subconsciously knowing his feelings and fearing them for some reason. She now saw how much deeper he had taken her into his heart. She looked around and found herself blindly approaching one of the cooking fires where Kaede sat, busy mixing together herbs for various poultices and potions. Kagome sat next to her and watched the older woman work in silence.

"What troubles you, child?" Kaede suddenly asked.

"Kaede-baba…" but her voice escaped her.

How could she tell her what she had discovered? What had almost happened?

"I see confusion in your eyes. Has something happened?"

Kagome breathed softly.

"Hai."

"Good or bad?"

"It… it started off good, but now… I don't know."

"Tell me, Kagome-sama. Sometimes the insight of an old woman can help clear even the most muddled of thoughts."

Kagome had a long pause, staring into the fire. Kaede waited patiently for her to come to her decision, casually noticing Kouga hovering just within youkai earshot.

She smirked grimly.

There was a being who just couldn't understand the ways of a young human woman's heart.

"Baba… I love him…" Kagome finally blurted, her eyes remaining fixed on the fire.

"Who?"

"Inuyasha."

Kaede smiled.

"I see Inuyasha finally managed to bring your defenses down as well, as you have long ago done with him."

The young girl looked at her in shock.

"You knew?"

"Child, I have lived a good many years. I know the looks, the mannerisms. And now you have realized it. It was a long time coming."

"Demo…"

"Child?"

"We…"

The images replayed in her mind and she shivered despite herself.

"We almost… Then Kouga almost caught… Inuyasha told me to come back here and he left."

Kaede gently caressed her head in a motherly fashion.

"Easy, Kagome-sama… You are confused right now, it's understandable. Having all those emotions stirred to the surface, only to have them cut short. Inuyasha is just as confused at this moment, which is why he left."

"Demo, where did he go?"

"To think no doubt. It is the hanyou and youkai way. They seek out a quiet corner to come to decisions, to actually think things through. It is why we so often found him in a tree somewhere, looking as if in deep thought until he noticed us. He will return to you when his thoughts are clear."

She sighed.

"The Fates began kindly for you, then had to throw a knot into your thread of life."

"Kouga?"

"Hai. He is a knot that will not be so easily unraveled out of your life. He is persistent and holds tight, which is what ultimately leads to his losses. Inuyasha, on the other hand, pushes people away. He doesn't realize that this draws people in to him. I remember in my younger years how completely taken I had been with him myself at his brash behavior and seemingly cold demeanor."

"You, Baba? You loved him?"

She snorted.

"An idle infatuation with a person who saw me as nothing more than an insect. But it gave me the opportunity to see things very clearly. He pushed away everyone who wished to be close to him, which only served to draw those same people ever closer. He pushed you away the hardest, drawing you in the closest of all to his heart, much closer than even my Onesan ever got."

Kagome stared at the fire, leaning on the old woman's shoulder. What Kaede said was true. In all the times her path had crossed that of the resurrected Kikyou, Inuyasha could have just left and never returned to her and his new friends. But each time, Kikyou had played the subtle seductress. It wove a kind of spell around the grief and guilt stricken hanyou, making him agree to whatever she asked of him. Once that emotional spell broke, for one reason or another, the hanyou always ran to Kagome, always silently asking her forgiveness for anything he may have done to hurt her. He never once voiced it to her, never once showed an outward sign of remorse, but Kagome had seen his eyes. Guilt had always swirled painfully there.

"As always, Kagome-sama, you must be patient with him. You know as well as I that these sorts of feelings are still very new to Inuyasha. When he is ready he will return to you and, when he does, I am certain you will become inseparable from that moment on."

She blushed at the thought.

"Do… do you approve?"

"Hai, I do. It shows how much the Fates and Kami wanted you both together. Too many signs. I wish you both a happy life for the time you will have together."

"He'll outlive me, won't he?"

"Hai, perhaps. Or perhaps he will find a way to become mortal for you. It is too bad that the Shikon no Tama was returned to its home village. It would have been helpful at this moment."

"Iie, it's too dangerous."

"Hai, you're right."

She sighed.

"Time will tell what it has planned for the two of you. Despite it all, you have my blessings, child."

Kagome smiled up at her.

"Arigatou, Baba."

Seated comfortably in the crook of a tree branch, Inuyasha cradled Tetsusaiga in his lap as he thought long and hard. He had sat there for several hours already, locked in a mental debate with himself.

The topic of his deliberations: Kagome.

He replayed what had almost happened in the hot spring until he could almost feel and taste her soft skin and smell her growing arousal.

They had almost mated.

And she had instigated it.

Kagome had been the first to make a move, leaning in and kissing him timidly, her eyes searching his and letting him know it was okay. It had been the only prompting he had needed.

_Damn that fuckin' wolf for having walked in when he did_, he growled to himself.

His mind teased him with images of what could have happened had they not be interrupted and he growled at himself. He forced himself to think of what the days would be like after all that, after she became his mate.

He saw two possible roads.

One would lead to days and nights beyond imagining with a few bright-eyed pups clinging to their legs. He could almost see their faces, mirrors of Kagome's lovely features, smiling up happily at him and their Okaasan. Part of him feared the thought of having children. His own Otousan had died long before he had gotten a chance to know him. More than anything he wanted to be there for his family, but at the same time he was afraid of it.

What if he didn't have the instinct to be an Otousan?

The other road he saw led to dangers that would haunt them both for the rest of their lives. Youkai would no doubt get wind of their mating, somehow they always did. They would hunt down Kagome primarily.

She was human, she was weak.

Could he risk putting her in so much danger?

Could he risk losing her to Kouga if he didn't act?

Better still, could he possibly go on living every day next to her, not being able to touch her, to hold her?

_I might as well be dead_, he concluded.

_Her scent alone is enough to drive me mad. _

He sighed heavily, staring up at a half moon rising off the horizon. It was decided. He would let her decide if she wanted to be his mate or not. If she said no, if she was too afraid, then he would bare that pain like a good warrior and hope for a day when she would finally say yes.

_I am such a sucker for disappointments_, he thought morbidly, dropping out of the tree.

A few hanyou leaps brought him back into the protective enclosure of the castle where he saw Kaede sitting up alone by a bright fire. He approached her cautiously, still unsure of her abilities even after having known her for so many years.

"Baba."

"Have you come to a conclusion, Inuyasha?"

"Nani?"

"Kagome-sama told me you left without saying where you were going. I assumed it was to think."

"Um… hai."

"Decisions of the heart are always difficult, demo never one sided."

"How the fuck did you…?"

Kaede chuckled.

"I may be old, my demon friend, demo I am not blind in the eye I have left."

She turned to look at him, feeling how serious he was on the subject and deeming it inappropriate to tease him as she normally did. The outcome of the situation was important to him.

"I know how much you want to protect her. So does she. Demo, do not make such a momentous decision without asking her first what she thinks on this matter."

He nodded slowly.

"I thought so."

Inuyasha paused and stared into the fire.

"Baba, I… I'm afraid for her."

She smiled softly, knowing how much of an effort it took for the hanyou to voice this fear.

"I know, Inuyasha, demo don't you think she fears for you as well? Each time you have been injured the poor girl has been wracked with guilt because she knew you were hurt protecting her."

"I'd die for her." he stated in all conviction.

"I know. Demo, would you still die for her even when she does not want you to die? Even when it would kill her to see you die?"

His mouth opened to answer, then snapped shut.

"Keh."

"She loves you dearly, Inuyasha."

He jerked slightly at that in surprise. He knew she cared, he had some inkling that her heart was within his reach, but he hadn't dared let himself believe it was love.

"Tell her of your fears. Let her make the decision after knowing this."

Inuyasha stared into the fire as he thought of what she just said. He then smirked.

"She came to talk to you too, didn't she? About the same things we just talked about?"

Kaede chuckled.

"Hai, that she did. The elderly often have the best advice for young hearts."

He stood with a huff of amusement.

"And no one is older than you, hag."

"Except, perhaps, you." she quipped.

"Keh." and he turned to walk towards the castle.

"Be gentle with her, Inuyasha."

He stopped in mid-step, giving her a puzzled look.

She grinned wryly at him.

"The first time for a woman can sometimes be quite painful."

The dog-demon turned as red as his haori before he whirled around and raced off into the building.

Kaede laughed softly.

"Ah, young hearts."

Silently avoiding the refugee villagers milling in the castle's entryway and managing to sneak by the reception hall the villagers had turned into a communal hall, Inuyasha headed down the familiar corridors and up the stairs to what was once his Okaasan's room. Kagome's scent tugged at him, growing stronger to his heightened sense of smell with each step he took. He hesitated for a moment at the door, steeling himself against the anxiousness growing within himself, then quietly walked in. Sometime while he was gone Kagome had lit a fire within the room's fireplace, a square pit built into the floor. Although it blazed brightly, the room retained a chill from the approaching winter. He approached the fire to gain some of its warmth, hiding his hands up his sleeves, mildly wondering where Kagome had hidden herself.

"You should have let yourself dry off before staying outside for so long."

He turned his head towards the voice. He could see Kagome's silhouette though the layers of diaphanous silk hanging in curtains around the bed. She casually tossed some cloth onto the bed's end before parting the silk folds and stepping into full sight. She kept her robes wrapped tightly around herself to block out the night's chill. Inuyasha watched her every move as she came to stand at his side, noting how she always kept her own eyes fixed on the fire.

"You risk catching a cold." she continued.

His eyes returned to the fire.

"Keh. Hanyou don't get sick."

"Oh."

Inuyasha winced and softened his tone.

"What about you? Warm enough?"

"Hai. The silk around the bed keeps it pretty well insulated from the cold. So, if I do get cold, all I have to do is stay in bed."

He saw her smirk out of the corner of his eye, a bright blush covering her cheeks, her scent shifting slightly.

"And staying in bed is certainly not the most unpleasant of thoughts." she near murmured.

He had to smirk in agreement.

Kagome fidgeted slightly, before looking at the hanyou standing at her side.

"Inuyasha?"

He twitched an ear in her direction in acknowledgement.

"Where did you go earlier?"

He sighed silently.

"I had to think."

"About what?"

"Stuff… the future."

"Mm. Any inspirations?"

"One or two."

Inuyasha swallowed hard, bolstering his courage for the upcoming conversation.

"Kagome, we need to talk."

A twinge of fear touched her heart at those words, watching his eyes disappear beneath his bangs as he lowered his head.

"Talk about what?" she questioned meekly.

"Our future."

Kagome felt as if her lungs were in a vice grip, refusing to let her breathe. He had said our future, his and hers together. There had been no distinction. She didn't know whether to scream or pass out. She prayed silently that this talk would be a positive one and not shatter her already fragile heart.

Inuyasha faced her with a determined expression on his face. He wouldn't back away from this. He was hanyou, a warrior. He had gone up against monsters and full demons and had defeated them all, so he was going to be damned if a simple, heartfelt conversation with the woman he loved was going to be his downfall. Kaede was right, he had to lay it all out for Kagome to see.

"Do you know my reasons for always protecting you?"

She kept her eyes fixed on the blazing fire before her.

"You told me often enough, it's because I'm human and weak."

He winced again, seeing the sadness enter her eyes, shaking his head.

"That's only part of it."

Tentatively he reached out one hand and let it hover over her hair, not quite daring to touch her. He swallowed again to force the lump from his throat. He would not be stopped now, he had to tell her everything.

"I protect you because I realized you are the single most important person in my life."

She blinked at this in surprise. She knew he cared about her a lot, but to actually hear him voice it was something utterly new to her ears. Feelings were not something the stoic half-demon voiced easily. She turned slowly to face him, incredulity on her features, causing Inuyasha to smile ever so slightly at how adorable it made her look. He touched her cheek, carefully tucking a few loose strands of her hair away from her face, feeling her shiver ever so slightly.

"I… I fear for you." he near whispered, afraid someone other than Kagome would hear his confession. "I'm afraid to lose you to some youkai or madman who would find out just how much you mean to me."

Kagome could feel honored tears beginning to burn her eye, threatening to spill at any moment.

"Inuyasha…"

His thumb trailed over her bottom lip to silence her, his eyes glowing in the dim light.

"Let me finish…"

He had a long pause as he gazed at her face, watching the firelight cast a play of warm hues and dark shadows. The trust and innocence shining in the liquid pools of her eyes warmed his heart. She trusted him no matter what he did or said.

"Realize, Kagome, this isn't something I'm asking you to accept lightly…" he continued. "I told you before, youkai absolutely hate the mixing of human blood with that of their kind, even with a hanyou,… They hate everything that isn't pure youkai… demo…"

He had a particularly long pause, staring at the lip his thumb was absently caressing. It trembled ever so slightly at his touch.

"I… I want you, Kagome. I need you with me, always…"

Inuyasha felt a pleasant tingle in his chest at having finally voiced his feelings.

"Demo… this isn't my decision, ne?… Just know, if you say hai, you need to understand that there will always be things hunting us, just like there will always be humans who will hate you for this… and the same goes for our pups."

Kagome's mind stuck on that word for a moment. Pups… his word for children. Her breath locked in growing realization.

"The choice has to be yours on whether you want to risk staying with me… as my mate…"

Her heart gave a painful and happy slam against her ribs, beating so fast and loud she was sure the whole world could hear it.

He had said it.

He had actually said it… finally.

He wanted her, wanted to be with her and only her.

She gave up trying to hold back the tears that now trailed down her cheeks, struggling hard against a giggle at the horrified and confused look battling to dominate his face.

She knew why.

He so hated to see her cry.

"Wh-why are you crying?"

He looked about ready to bolt out of the room in guilt so she gripped his sleeves to hold him in place and to reassure him.

She smiled through her tears.

"I'm just happy."

He blinked, more confused than ever. This wasn't something he was readily familiar with. Humans cried when they were hurt or sad. They didn't cry when they were happy… did they?

"Happy?" he questioned. "Honto ne?"

"Hai."

She laid a hand to his cheek tenderly.

"What took you so long to ask?"

Inuyasha blinked again, his confusion beginning to clear at an achingly slow speed. He wasn't entirely sure he had heard her correctly.

"Is that…?"

"Hai." she smiled brightly.

"Hai?"

He wanted to be absolutely certain.

"Hai." she giggled, throwing her arms around his neck and holding him tight.

He repeated it once more to himself, wanting to be absolutely sure he didn't make a mistake, when it suddenly hit him full force.

Hai.

She had agreed!

His arms crushed her tight to his chest, purring low into the crook of her neck, breathing in deep of her scent to imprint it on his memory for all eternity and beyond.

She was his now.

Not Kouga's.

Not Hojo's.

His!

He had every right to claim her and, by the slight shift he noted in her scent, she wanted him to claim her. He smiled against the skin of her neck, his heart doing happy summersaults in his chest. As much as he wanted her, she too wanted him. It was so much more than he had ever dared to ask for. Unlike Kikyou, Kagome didn't ask him to choose what he wanted to be to be with her. She had told him once that she didn't want him to change, though if he chose to be either human or full youkai she would respect that.

To Kagome there was no distinction between youkai, hanyou or human.

To her, he was simply Inuyasha.

And he adored her beyond description for that simple fact.

"Where were we earlier, before being so rudely interrupted?" she whispered coyly against his neck.

Sitting up late into the night, Kouga stared into a small cooking fire in the castle's great hall. Occasionally he would cast a quick glance towards the doorway as if hoping for someone to walk through. He had heard the conversations both Kagome and the hanyou had engaged in with that old Miko woman, Kaede.

Kagome had to be delusional.

Or under some sort of spell.

Had to be!

It was the only way he could find for her to accept that half-breed's advances. That hanyou was nothing compared to him. Kouga had a pack, he was a strong Alpha male who could provide for his entire pack and a mate effortlessly. He could breed his mate many strong and healthy pups. Kagome would forever be tended to by the lesser females and protected in his absence by the lesser males. She would never have to leave the den for anything.

The hanyou had nothing.

He had no way of protecting Kagome at all times like Kouga could.

That decided him.

He would go up to Kagome's room, confront her of this mindless infatuation, and drag her back down to the hall and to his pack where she belonged. He knew he would get into a battle with the hanyou, but it didn't matter. He would defeat the half-breed and prove to Kagome once and for all that he was the undisputed Alpha male in this castle and she had to submit to him.

Kouga nodded to himself and stood, walking towards the dark corridor leading to Kagome's room. He wasn't aware of himself jogging quickly through the corridors until the door to her room appeared before him. He paused, going over his plan once again in his mind. If the two were asleep, he would quickly scoop Kagome up in his arms and run off before the hanyou could react. No matter if she was awake or not, he would run off with her to have a real, undisturbed conversation with his intended mate.

Resolved in his actions to come, Kouga opened the door and strode in. His nose was immediately assaulted with a scent he was familiar with, yet couldn't quite place. He had smelled this someplace before, but it was never so thick. Looking towards the bed he noticed a pile of clothes lying forgotten on the floor. He blinked, recognizing the items instantly.

One was the robe Kagome had taken to wearing, to the obvious pleasure of the half-breed.

The other was the hanyou's Hi-Nezumi made clothing.

Kouga felt his blood freeze in his veins in slow realization of what the scent truly was.

He quietly approached the bed and parted the curtains of silk to see the sleepers.

This was the sight he had dreaded to see.

With the blankets barely covering them up to their waists, the hanyou and human slept peacefully, tiny smiles on their faces. Both were obviously naked, Kagome's back pressed to the half-breed's chest as he kept his arms wrapped around her, his nose to her nape. No doubt having sensed the cold breeze now wafting against her skin from where the curtains had been parted, Kagome shivered, turning in her sleep towards the hanyou as she sought more warmth. He reacted instantly to the move, absently tugging the blankets higher over her shoulders and crushing her close, his lips to her forehead. There had been no mistaking the soft happy sigh that escaped her lips.

Kouga felt his mouth grow dry.

He had lost her.

_Iie!_ his mind screamed furiously and he frowned.

_They're mated, hai, but a mate can be won away from a pairing with sufficient convincing. I just have to make Kagome see that I'm the only right choice for her. _

He stared down at the sleeping couple, stifling a growl.

_Enjoy her while you still can, dog turd. Kagome is mine! _

Hanshu Taishou struggled as best he could against his captors, feeling their claws tightened on his armor clad arms with just enough pressure to cause pain but not tear off his arms. He cursed at them loudly. How dare these creatures take him prisoner. They had no honor in the art of war. They had just simply appeared as if from the mists of Kokuhyou and had attacked his mighty army, the largest assembled in all of the Empire. His army counted in the near ten thousands, yet a small band of these hell-beasts had succeeded in wiping them all out of existence.

And instead of killing the general as the rules of engagement called for, they took his prisoner and dragged him into this strange hive. Not only that, but they had failed to disarm him. Taishou looked around for a way to escape, noting the slick walls all around. Climbing was definitely out of the question if he couldn't get his hands on strong ropes and a hook of some sort. If he stared at one spot long enough he could almost swear he saw it pulse with some sort of heartbeat.

Was this hive alive?

Along the floor he could see the countless remains of hapless creatures that had dared take on these formidable foes. Taishou recognized the bones by their sheer size alone. Youkai had attacked these beasts and lost as well. A dreaded realization hit him at this.

If youkai couldn't win against these scorpion men, then what possible chance did humanity stand?

The two scorpion beasts that held him suddenly shoved him forward into an immense room before pulling back into the shadows so only their glowing red eyes could be visible. Taishou stumbled to recover his balance, straightened his armour with a sharp tug, and then began a careful examination of the chamber. The first rule of a prisoner: find a method or direction of escape. The chamber walls were just as smooth and slick with some sort of slime, just like the corridors of this hive. A well protruded from the center of the floor, a bubble of glowing energy crackling and pulsing just within the lip of it. It bathed the room in a strange blue and white glow, alternating in color for time to time. From each gaping entrance the Hanshu could see the glowing eyes of his captors, watching him, keeping their distance for some reason.

"They are there to keep you from escaping, Osanago." a honey smooth woman's voice echoed throughout the chamber, as if having read his thought.

The Hanshu whirled around in place, drawing his katana, searching for the source of the voice. It sounded human enough, definitely a woman. If he was truly fortunate, he would be able to negotiate his release with this woman who seemed to have so much power over these scorpion creatures.

"Poor Osanago, trapped and alone. Where is your captor, Anchi?" the voice taunted.

Taishou frowned.

So much for negotiating with a reasonable being.

He heard the soft clicking of claws on stone and turned, only to find nothing behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Facing an opponent head on was easy, facing an opponent who refused to show themselves…

"Show yourself, Onna!" he shouted to the room.

"Tsk, such a temper."

"Your kaibutsu killed my whole army! I'm hardly in the mood to be calm."

"Kaibutsu! Be kind, Hanshu, these are my children, hardly monsters."

There was another skitter of claws on stone.

"Your children? What are you?"

The voice chuckled softly.

"Hanyou." it cooed.

"Jinkouteki!"

Unnatural.

The air went deathly still. Taishou held his breath, hearing his heart pounding in his own ears at the feel of the tension within the room grow.

"I have been called that my entire life, Hanshu!" the voice hissed angrily. "I did not tolerate it then, nor will I tolerate it now."

Akuma Sasori skittered down the side of a wall into the shadows, her red hair seeming like real fire in the well's light, the shadows making her look much more immense than she truly was. She moved from place to place quickly, never giving the human a chance to truly see her… not just yet.

"Decades, Anchi! I have spent decades trying to forget that word! I am not jinkouteki. If I were, I wouldn't have been born."

She stalked forward slowly, enjoying the look of terror entering the man's eyes as she came into sight. It was the same look she had seen all those decades ago, the fear swimming in that warlord's eyes when he suddenly realized she would kill him.

"You remind me of a man I once knew." she spoke softly. "He was proud and arrogant… he could have been my Otousan… had he cared more."

Taishou blinked.

"He abandoned you?"

Was this the cause of all the carnage, an old hate?

"Iie…" she near giggled. "I killed him."

Akuma let her fingers trail over the surface of the bubble protruding from the well, the soft bluish glow erupting into a myriad of harsh reds and ugly purples, energy crackling to life in thin, random bolts.

"Do you know why I had my children bring you here?" she asked.

"Hanyou have no reasons to give." The words were out of his lips before he realized it.

The scowl on her face deepened, an old pain flitting across her face.

"Hanyou have no reasons to give. Hanyou feel no love, give no love, get no love. Hanyou seek only power. Hanyou are hated among all creatures!"

She shouted the old refrain she had heard for the vaster portion of her life, hating the taste of every word. These had been words that had been drilled into her very psyche over many decades, words that she had come to despise since they always led to a beating by that twisted little human who had dared presume himself her better. She caught herself before she could lunge at the Hanshu in fury, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. Killing him now in a rage was no fun. She wanted to see the fear in his eyes.

"Why did I have you brought here?"

A bead of sweat trickled down the side of Taishou's face.

"I…"

"Never bothered to think about it."

Akuma chuckled, looking down at her blood red nails.

"My children think I look a little pale. They want me strong to be able to rule this world."

When she raised her eyes to his, Taishou felt frozen in place, mesmerized by her cobra like eyes. Her fingers lightly touched his cheek in an uncharacteristically tender caress.

"Are you afraid to die, Hanshu?"

"H--… Hai."

She smiled ever so sweetly.

"As well you should be."

She placed a gentle kiss on his brow.

"Arigatou, Hanshu."

"Na-Nani?"

"For showing me your fear."

Taishou never saw her tail move. The next moment, and every other that would ever come, were simple oblivion.

Akuma stared at the lifeless body dangling from the tip of her tail, impaled through the back of the skull. The death of this human lord, of this military general, helped to ease some of her past pain, but not enough.

She slid her body along the low bench that had been designed for her as her throne in her birth land, her arms crossed over her chest, fingers drumming absently on her arms in thinly veiled irritation. Report after report from her Scouts had come in every few hours before the arrival of her meal, giving her news and a clearer picture of just what was happening in that castle a few days away from her hive.

She didn't like any of it.

The numbers of human refugees were growing within those castle walls, growing to the size of a small army. But she had no reason to worry about them. They were all frightened of her children and unorganized to make them completely harmless.

An idle nuisance.

What truly annoyed her were the constant reports of the strange girl and the silver-haired hanyou, of their growing closeness.

One of the Scouts had managed to get very close to watch them. He had seen them at a hot spring, first playing like children in the water, then kissing and clinging intimately to each other before being interrupted by the wolf youkai.

Another Scout had reported the heavy scent of musk in the air later that night coming from one of the castle's more isolated rooms. It could have meant anyone had mated that night, but the scout had reported the stench was so great that the half-breed would have had difficulty resisting its lure.

_Hanyou are unable to receive human or youkai affection_, a long since dead voice droned in her mind.

_You are jinkouteki_ _creatures, hated by both beings that spawned you. A hanyou will never find a mate who will love him or her._

Hanyou were destined to die alone.

That was something that had been instilled in her since her youth. Everyone she had come across had proved that saying right more than once, stoning her and chasing her away from any place she dared try to find rest in. Akuma scowled at the demi-orb hanging over the well's surface, tearing pieces of flesh from the Hanshu dangling from her tail and chewing thoughtfully on each piece.

She would not die alone.

She had found an entire world dedicated to her, who would do anything she asked for without question.

Her _children_ adored her.

_Demo they do not love me_.

She shook her head violently.

_I don't need love! A hanyou can live without love! _

But her mind couldn't help but wonder about the girl who seemed to love that other half-breed.

Why was she different that all the other humans Akuma had encountered as a child?

Why did she treat her half-demon with such respect and care and affection?

A dainty insect leg tapped the ground in thought and she shifted her weight more comfortably on her throne, tossing what inedible substance remained of the Hanshu behind her absently. The Scouts had reported that the girl possessed great power, they could smell it easily radiating all around her.

Akuma grunted to herself.

That was why the hanyou stayed around. He was attracted to the smell of power. All hanyou sought power, which was ultimately why they were killed in the first place. That quest made them dangerous.

The girl's motives were more mysterious than the half-breed's.

Did she seek power?

Was she a sorceress of some kind?

Akuma Sasori sighed with a deep frown. Simply thinking about these things would not tell her what she needed to know. If she wanted to discover the girl's motives or why she seemed to be attracted to the hanyou, she would have to ask her directly. She let loose a high-pitched screech. Almost immediately a large scorpion man with a broad torso and huge pincers scurried into the chamber. He bowed low, keeping his eyes on the ground.

"What iss your wissh, Great One?" he queried in a tone far too soft for his size.

"Take a legion, raze the land to that castle where our scouts have been watching a girl and hanyou. Let nothing survive until you get there. Bring me back the girl with the scent of power around her… alive."

"What of the hanyou that wass reported with her, Sshining One?"

Akuma almost grinned.

"Do not kill him. Incapacitate him for a while. I want him capable of coming here. After I question the girl, I will have questions for him as well. I want to see just how far he will go to save this girl."

"I hear and obey, Misstressss."

Without once raising his eyes to Akuma, the scorpion General whirled around on thin legs to race into the hive's numerous corridors, letting loose shrill cries and random clicks as he went. From every possible angle and corridor came countless smaller versions of the General, clicking excitedly with the prospects of battle.

Looking like some great black tidal wave, the scorpion beings swarmed out of the hive, heading North and towards the coast. The loud roar of trampling insect legs and gnashing claws filled the air sounding like never ending thunder, reverberating off into the distance almost as if in warning of the impending danger. All standing structures and trees didn't stand a chance against the massive horde. Whole forests were razed to the ground in a matter of seconds to leave behind nothing more than piles of splinters and crushed leaves amongst the stripped bones of hapless animals and unlucky youkai; surviving villages disappeared from existence into piles of ash and scattered bones; animals and humans were trampled mercilessly by sharp and spindly legs to provide food for this army as it trekked ever onward. Everywhere the multitude went, carnage and death followed with endless streams and pools of warm blood.

The-One-Who-Was-All had given them their orders and they would obey them to the end.

Inuyasha frowned slightly at Kagome, slight concern visible in his eyes as he watched her tighten the ties of her hakama, tugging it into place over the waist of her jeans.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? This isn't going to be easy on you."

She nodded, shifting her bow and quiver of arrows more comfortably on her shoulder. She had to smile. Tough as he tried to act, Inuyasha was the most caring and concerned man she knew.

"Everything that needs taking care of here is already being taken care of. I have nothing to do and it's driving me nuts. I need to get out, stretch my legs… so to speak."

"You do know it's not safe out there."

"Hai, hai, I know. Lots of bugs, as you like to call them."

She smiled sweetly.

"Demo, I'll be with you. I won't be in any danger with my ever loving protector watching over me."

Her smile and innocent tone of voice won a quick smile from him, but it was quickly replaced by his frown.

"Demo, going on a hunt…?"

She gave a frustrated sigh.

"Inuyasha, I've learned to gut a whole stag and skin it too. If I'm not totally grossed out by having my hands in its innards then I think I can handle a little hunt, ne?"

The hanyou shook his head slightly, turning his back to her.

"You'll see." and he crouched a little to let he climb on.

He barely glanced at the hunting party gathered not far away, merely waiting until Kagome was settled comfortably on his back before taking off at a demon's speed for the surrounding forest. Inuyasha wasn't concerned that Kouga or his pack were following. He had nothing to worry about any of them. Kagome was his mate now, his alone. No other male had any claim to her save perhaps to call her Onesan, and one day his male pups would call her Okaasan. She bore his mark just like he bore hers.

A grin tugged up the corners of his lips at the memory already a day old.

He had felt her fingers lightly tracing the base of his neck shortly before she had apologized. Upon asking her why, she had told him she had bit him a little too hard during their lovemaking. It had caused him to leap from the bed and inspect his neck in the mirror. A small circle of perfectly defined teeth marks decorated the base of his neck. The wound had refused to heal like his other wounds usually had, proof that this was a mark that was supposed to remain where it was. With a smile he had all but leapt back into the bed, cuddling her close. He had explained to her the significance of the mark then, how it meant they belonged to each other and no one else. She had blushed, touching her own bite before giving him a smile that left him like nothing more than a puddle in her surprisingly talented hands.

Inuyasha snapped himself from the memory before it got him too distracted, sampling the air for a soon to be prey. He had been so wrapped up in his reminiscing that he had failed to notice the day pass, the once low morning sun now high in the sky. Glancing around he was pleased to see he hadn't wandered too far away from the castle, even in his daydream state. He was sure the other hunters and the wolf youkai pack had gathered quite a few kills by now, enough to last the refugees back at the castle for the next couple of weeks if the meat was stored properly.

One more wouldn't hurt.

He would give his mate the opportunity to make this kill. She had to learn to fend for herself if ever he was forced to be absent too long.

A familiar musk wafted to his sensitive nose and he slowed his race.

A stag.

Male… just entering his prime.

The meat such a beast could provide would be enough to keep his mate alone fed for a week at least, to keep her strong to bear his young.

He smiled to himself.

And how he would enjoy making those pups.

Kagome noticed his slower pace.

"What did you smell?" she asked in a quiet hush.

Inuyasha blinked back to reality.

"A buck… He's close."

Her hand tightened on his shoulder.

"Then let's find him."

"Hai."

Still keeping Kagome on his back, Inuyasha crouched low to stay beneath the line of the bushes, darting quickly between trees until he reached a line of underbrush circling a small clearing. Browsing peacefully, unaware of any dangers lurking nearby, was a trio of graceful stags, two females and a magnificent looking male. Being as quiet as possible, Inuyasha eased Kagome off his back and tugged her forward until she was in front of him, back pressed to his chest.

"The kill is yours, Koi." he whispered.

She blinked up at him in surprise, then nodded shakily. She had been fully willing to witness the hunt, to see either her hanyou lover or one of the other hunters kill an animal, but she had never expected to become an active participant. She pulled an arrow from her quiver and bit her lip. She figured she must have subconsciously decided to become a hunter or she would have never brought the weapon with her.

Kagome took a deep steadying breath, notched an arrow, and took careful aim. Her hand shook despite her best effort to keep still and steady. Flashes of the movie Bambi kept appearing before her mind's eye, taunting her with the cruelty of the whole situation. One of Inuyasha's hands came to rest on the hand holding the bow to help steady it, gently nudging it over by a few millimeters until the arrow was pointing at a specific spot on the buck. She paused for a split second, drew back the string another inch, and then released.

With the barest hiss against the air, the arrow flew straight and true from her hand to the buck's heart. The does ran off in surprise, crashing through the forest in fear.

Numbly, Kagome followed Inuyasha into the clearing where the dead animal lay. The hanyou crouched down with a hand on the buck's side, then grunted, pleased.

"A clean kill." he mumbled, smiling.

Kagome dropped to her knees, unable to take her eyes off the stag.

"I can't believe I just did this."

Inuyasha looked at her, noting her shock, and his ears flattened. He realized now, she wasn't made for the hunt. Up until now he had treated her like one of his own kind, as if she had lived the same life he had. He realized now what a mistake that was. She had lived a fairly sheltered life back in her time, where one could simply enter any number of buildings and purchase a meal or provisions. She had never had to hunt and kill an innocent animal. Her heart was just too caring to take a life, even if it meant her survival. He wracked his brain for something to say that would help appease her shock.

"You do what you can to survive, Kagome." he began slowly. "When I was younger, I remember telling myself that I would die first before I killed an animal, that I could survive off catching fish or eating berries and herbs."

She blinked up at him and her heart began to warm that he was volunteering private information about his past to try to comfort her.

"Fish are animals too?"

"Keh. Not like a rabbit or a stag. Killing a fish isn't as… messy."

"Oh. What changed your mind?" she questioned.

"Starvation. I couldn't always count on the river to provide for me and in the winter, berries and herbs are impossible to find. I got to watching animals on the hunt and realized that if I wanted to live then I had to hunt, and kill."

"Does… does it get easier?"

"After a while. You start seeing prey not as a living creature, demo as your means to live one more day."

He suddenly grabbed her hand and laid it against the side of the stag's neck.

"Thank it."

"Nani?"

"Thank it, its spirit. It… it makes the hurt go away."

She blinked again.

"Did… you…?"

He merely nodded, understanding her incomplete question. For the first few months of his hunts as a child, he had felt the need to thank the spirit of the animal he had killed in order to appease the guilt he felt at having taken a life. After that, the hunts had become so commonplace to him that he had and now no longer felt the need to express gratitude towards the dead prey. Death had become a normal thing to his younger self. Back then it had been kill or be killed. Youkai hunted him for what he was, larger carnivores saw him a potential prey. He had no choice then, he had to grow hard and cold to the death or be consumed by it or madness.

His mate lowered her eyes to the stag, her fingers gently stroking its fur. She was silent, lost in an inner contemplation of her actions present and future. Inuyasha merely watched her until he heard the bushes rustle in the distance. Looking up he found some of the other huntsmen that usually joined him in the hunt just now coming into sight. A few members of Kouga's pack were among them, specifically Hakkaku and Ginta. Inuyasha approached them, not wanting them to come any closer to Kagome than they already were, pleased that Kouga was smart enough to keep his distance now, mildly wondering why Hakkaku and Ginta weren't with their leader and Oniisan at that moment.

Lost in her thoughts, the young Miko was barely aware of the new arrivals or that Inuyasha had moved away from her.

"If you dwell on every stag or rabbit you kill like this, you'll never want to eat again." Inuyasha scolded her.

She inhaled sharply as if snapping out of some all consuming thought, her eyes lifting to him in what he could best describe as surprise. Kagome forced a smile, trying to shake off the remains of her shock.

"Gomen ne, I guess I'm taking this a little harder than I thought I would."

He smirked at her.

"Not to say I told you so…"

She returned the smirk with a slight frown.

"Demo you're just baka enough to do it anyway."

She saw the sparkle in his eyes dance as he suppressed an amused chuckle. Ever since that night he had claimed her as his mate, Kagome noticed how much calmer and surer of himself he was, allowing himself to show that side of him he had once deemed too much of a weakness. Kagome found it amazing that all it took to mellow him was the promise of a family.

With the barest effort Inuyasha picked up the buck from where it lay and tossed it over to the hunters. They staggered under its weight, looking to the hanyou in question. This one was sniffing the air in distaste.

So much for his earlier assumption that Kouga was keeping his distance from Kagome.

"Take it back to the castle." the half-breed instructed. "This is Kagome's kill, so no one has a right to the meat except her, got that?"

The group of wolf youkai nodded, readily agreeing that the one who made the kill was the one alone who was allowed to decide what happened to the meat. Inuyasha grunted to himself. There were definitely good points to having a pack mentality. And seeing as both he and Kouga acted like and fought for the position of Alpha male, the rest of the pack would treat them both as the Alpha until one was clearly declared the leader.

Inuyasha turned back to his mate, crouching slightly at her side in a sign for her to climb onto his back. She resisted the urge to blink in confusion before following the silent order. Once she was settled, he stood and took a few steps, preparing to leap off into the trees.

"Where're you taking aniyome?" Hakkaku questioned.

"Hai, aniyome should stay nearby for Nii-chan to find her." Ginta readily agreed.

The hanyou froze, a vicious growl rising in his throat, and Kagome winced knowingly.

Sister-in-law.

They had dared to assume that Kouga was the human girl's undisputed mate, despite her continuous reminders that she was not interested in him. Inuyasha turned to the youkai, glaring heatedly at them in pure rage, the growl growing louder in menace. They backed away, afraid and confused at the hanyou's reaction.

Kagome merely curled her fingers into Inuyasha's haori in anticipation of him either taking off like a shot or lunging at the youkai to rip out their throats, neither of which she was in the mood to stop at that moment. Truth be known she was more than a little annoyed at the whole mess with Kouga now. She had found it cute and flattering in the past and, at times, it served her purpose to make Inuyasha notice her as more than just a Shikon no Tama shard detector.

But the attentions of the wolf youkai and his pack were wearing thin.

She had come to realize that to the youkai she was nothing more than a prize to be won, a status symbol and nothing more. And Kouga was more obsessed with possessing her now than loving her, of proving to the world and his pride than he could lay claim to any woman he chose. Kagome had no interest in being a trophy wife for the youkai, especially not now that her koishii hanyou had finally admitted how much he truly cared for her. For the remainder of the day following that, when she and Inuyasha had finally decided to get out of bed sometime after what she could best guess as noon, Kouga had shadowed her every move. He acted more like a stalker now than someone out for love.

She could and would tolerate the slip from Ginta and Hakkaku for now so long as they didn't go too far…

"Nani?" Ginta managed to ask. "She and Nii-chan are mates so-"

Kagome frowned.

That was the drop that finally spilled the bucket of her patience.

"Oh, for the love of Kami-_I am not his mate!_" Kagome shouted in exasperation, raising up on Inuyasha's back to emphasize her point.

Ginta and Hakkaku blinked repeatedly in surprise. Inuyasha gave her a proud smirk from over his shoulder.

"D-demo… Nii-chan said…" Hakkaku sputtered.

"I don't care what he said! I was never, am not, and will never be his mate! He never touched me, we never even slept together!"

Ginta scrambled to find some form of proof to the contrary.

"Demo… we-we smelled the musk the other night… and-and Nii-chan wasn't with us that night and… and-"

Kagome pressed her face into Inuyasha's hair with a near growl of frustration.

"So help me, I am going to kill one of them…" she muttered.

"Oi, that's my line." the hanyou retorted playfully.

She nipped his nape lightly.

"You're not helping."

He forced down a chuckled and faced the youkai wolves, his frown returning full force.

"Listen up, I'm only going to say this once…"

They stared at him expectantly.

"Kagome is _my_ mate."

Not waiting for a reaction from them, he could already imagine their shocked expressions, the hanyou merely turned on his heels and leapt off out of sight into the treetops. His top priority at the moment, get Kagome as far away as possible from the group of wolf youkai. He had felt the tension bunching her muscles, her fingers digging into his shoulders in growing annoyance. As much as he wanted to pound Ginta and Hakkaku's faces into the ground, or even watch as Kagome attempted the feat, something in him told him it would be best if she simply got away from everyone for a while. He especially wanted to keep her away from Kouga. He had easily smelled him coming nearer, no doubt at a flat run.

In Kagome's present state she was very liable to kill him.

_And there no fuckin' way in Hell that I'd stop her from doing that if I ever gave her the chance_, he smirked in self-satisfaction.

"Ne, Inuyasha, where are we going?" Kagome suddenly questioned.

"As far away from wolf boy and his pack as possible."

He could almost see her smile from behind him as her arms wrapped around his neck adoringly.

"Arigatou." she breathed, placing a light kiss on the side of his neck.

"Keh." was all he replied, giving her thigh a slight squeeze.

After a few powerful leaps, Inuyasha sampled the air, pleased to find no trace of any youkai anywhere near them. Kouga had not followed. For once, the wolf demon had done something intelligent, which, in itself, was absolutely remarkable. Without him following them, Inuyasha could risk slowing his pace to a walk now to allow himself to enjoy the light and comforting weight of his mate settled on his back.

He smiled, rolling the term over and over in his mind.

Mate.

Untenshi.

There was something he never thought he would ever call someone, let alone Kagome. For the longest time she had been the unattainable, the forbidden. She had been far too pure and innocent to allow himself to think of her as more than just a friend, and even there she was too good to be his friend.

He had heard the sayings.

Hanyou were not allowed to feel trust or compassion or love, especially not from a human. If one were lucky enough, a hanyou would find one of its own kind and live some kind of peace that way. But Kagome had broken down all those barriers and thrown out all the so-called rules set out by the purists. She had accepted him as more than a friend.

She had accepted to be his mate.

Part of him had resolved itself to the fact that he would live his life alone, never to have a companion except a small handful of friends, never to have a mate to bare his pups…

Inuyasha blinked at himself.

Pups.

A legacy.

There was something else he never thought he would have. He would make sure his brood would have a different chance than he had.

_I'm going make for goddamn sure I'm there for them, unlike my Otousan_, he growled as he came to the edge of the forest.

He stepped out into the wide glade of drying Autumn grasses, vaguely hearing them crunch beneath his bare feet as he walked, feeling a cold gust of air blow past. The smell of snow hung heavy on the air and part of him wondered if Kagome was warm enough without protective winter clothing.

_How will it be like to be an Otousan? _

_It'll be different, hai, demo how much different? _

_Will I be able to protect them all? _

_Will I be a good Otousan to them? _

"Anything I do has got to be better than my Otousan." he mumbled, not really intending to do so.

"Nani?"

He stiffened, abruptly realizing that he had spoken his last comment out loud. He stopped in his tracks, feeling Kagome slide off his back to appear before him, staring into his eyes with curiosity.

"Inuyasha? What were you thinking about?"

He opened his mouth to snap out _nothing_, his usual remark, but shut it abruptly.

No, she deserved to know.

After all, she was his mate and the future Okaasan to his litter.

"I… I was thinking about… about our pups." he faltered uncharacteristically.

He frowned at himself, at the fact that his words hadn't come out as sure as he had wanted them to.

_Damn, this is harder than I thought. _

Kagome's eyes widened marginally, a light blush touching her cheeks.

"Oh."

She hadn't really thought about the moment she and Inuyasha would have children. Images of black haired and silver haired hanyou children entered her mind, scrambling over each other and racing to Inuyasha in joyful innocent glee. Part of her delighted in seeing these youngsters, her children.

Another part of her was terrified.

She was afraid of raising these children, afraid she would fail them somehow. She paused as she pondered his muttered comment a few seconds ago, then tugged on his sleeve to get him to sit on the ground with her, facing each other. She took his hands in her own, her thumbs absently trailing across his knuckles.

"You're worried about being a good Otousan to them?"

He sighed heavily, his ears drooping in apprehensive shame.

"Hai."

Kagome gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Want to know something?"

One of his ears perked up in interest.

"I'm terrified I'm not going to be a good Okaasan."

Both ears shot up as his eyes went wide.

"You? Hell, you'll be a perfect Okaasan! Look at you and the brat those last two years."

She looked away slightly.

"Shippo made it easy…"

"The fuck he did! The little brat did everything possible to get in trouble, yet you pulled his tail out of the fire each and every time, forgave him, coddled him."

She frowned slightly.

"Would you have rather I just leave him behind to fend for himself?"

"Iie, of course not. The fuzz ball would've never survived on his own. Demo you knew exactly what to do and say to him at any given moment."

"Maybe… demo what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You have an Otousan's instinct."

"Oushikuzo."

"Iie. Shippo told me everything you ever told him."

He blinked rapidly.

"Na-nani?"

"When you both thought Sango, Miroku and I were dead. You told him to be strong. He also told me how you took care of him, protected him when I was in the future."

"He would've gotten himself killed otherwise."

"Demo you always acted like you didn't care about him when the rest of us were around. You did though, more than you let show. You taught him how to hunt. You comforted him by telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. You teased him too, demo that's all part of the package. An Otousan does those sorts of things."

Inuyasha considered her words.

"Honto ne?"

"Hai. Why were you so afraid?"

He squared his shoulders defiantly.

"I wasn't afraid."

"Hai, hai, worried then." she amended.

"It's just…"

He faltered at finding the right words, absently shredding a few blades of grass that lay between them.

Kagome saw the distant look enter his eye, the old sadness that she had seen take him at moments during the last few days when she had asked him about his past. It made the often tough and strong hanyou look so vulnerable. He so often put up harsh facades, but she knew the gentleness that dwelt in his heart, just waiting for the moment to show itself and be felt.

She understood him so well.

Despite his protest, he was afraid he wouldn't be a good Otousan since he had never had such a person in his own life. All the men who could have been some sort of fatherly role model were dead. The daimyo would have been the ideal model, but fate had it that he should send them away and then be killed. From what she had heard, Inuyasha's youkai Otousan had been killed long before the hanyou had gotten a chance to know him. And his Oniisan was not someone to use as a role model under and circumstance.

Kagome slid her fingers into his hands, rubbing gentle patterns against his palms in comfort. He let her continue, opening his hands to her to give her better access and contented himself to silently watch her slim fingers move. She traced the lines of his hands and up along his fingers, brushing her fingertips to his before sliding her palms against his.

"An Otousan doesn't learn to be a good Otousan by watching others." she began slowly, softly.

Gold eyes lifted to watch the expression of deep thought furrow her brows. Her eyes met his.

"A good Otousan does what he thinks and knows is right for his children, what won't hurt them, what will help them become good in their own right. You know what's right. I've seen you around the children in the castle."

"Keh, annoying little brats."

She smiled tenderly.

"I know you don't mean that just like I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that you'll be an amazing Otousan."

Inuyasha was in so much awe from her affirmation that he could just stare at her. When her cool fingers trailed over his cheek, something inside him snapped back to reality. In the blink of an eye he had her pinned to her back, a menacing grin on his face, his intent all too clear in his eyes. Kagome merely laughed, giving his hair a slight tug.

"You're insatiable!" she accused.

"Can you blame me?"

"I can try."

He nuzzled the base of her jaw, purring and licking his way down her throat to her pulse. She giggled huskily and clutched at his arms, feeling her heart begin to race. Inuyasha was just inhaling her scent, looking for that one place along her collarbone that always seemed to make her lose control, when a new scent snuck through the growing haze. It was just on the edge of his senses, but enough to catch his attention. It was vague, a half remembered scent. He lifted his head, rising to his knees to better sample the air, his ears swivelling around to catch any hint of a sound.

Kagome watched him, noting the look on his face. It was part way between confusion and recognition. She saw his ears snap in one direction, his whole body turning that way as he stood. She got to her feet at his side, staring off in the direction he was. A kind of dark haze was rising to cover the sky over the horizon, the hills in the distance turning black as if scorched. Fear rose in Kagome's throat at the strange sight, her hands instinctively finding Inuyasha's sleeve and curling into the material to offer herself some sort of comfort.

"What is that, Inuyasha?"

Her voice sounded so small, so terrified. A fierce growl began to rise in the hanyou's throat as he took a step forward, just enough to stand protectively in front of his mate. Nothing would harm her, he would see to it with his life. This black wave was heading in two directions. One was towards him and Kagome. The other was heading off towards the castle. Gold eyes squinted to get a better look at this phenomenon happening in the distance.

He could just barely make out individual shapes…

His eyes snapped wide.

In a move faster than the blink of an eye, Inuyasha scooped Kagome onto his back and headed back to the castle at a flat run, hoping beyond hopes he would reach there before the wave did.

"Nani? Inuyasha? What is it?" Kagome demanded, fear rising another notch in her throat.

"Goddamn bugs!" was all he replied.

"Kami…" he heard her choke out, her fingers gripping his shoulders more firmly. "It's been so long… Why now of all times?"

"Remind me to ask one of them if any survive." Inuyasha growled.

It took mere short minutes before the crumbling walls of the castle came into view. Inuyasha could see the scorpion beings drawing nearer, villagers trying their best to hold them back with flaming arrows and any other object they could get their hands on. Kouga's youkai pack were attacking the creatures, giving the smarter villagers the time to escape. Inuyasha felt Kagome shift against his back, hearing the twang of a bowstring snapping after a release. A glowing arrow, infused with her instinctual Miko powers, flew into the fray of scorpion men, exploding upon contact to scatter them in every which direction. They merely got to their spindly legs again and continued the attack.

"Shimatta…" Kagome cursed.

The hanyou took that to mean she had no doubt meant to kill the creatures instead of scattering them.

"You have to hit their heads, remember?"

"I was hoping…"

Her voice trailed off as her eyes scanned her friends fighting for their lives.

"They won't be able to hold out for much longer! They need breathing room!"

The hanyou frowned to himself as he neared the battle, already drawing Tetsusaiga from its sheath. There was only one way he could see to put some distance between the two attacking factions. He came to a sliding stop between the lines of friends and foes, giving his sword a mighty swing. Light and wind coalesced into a powerful blast, Tetsusaiga's Wind's Scar attack activating at its wielder's unspoken bidding. With some luck the blast will have severed many of the scorpion's heads from their bodies, but Inuyasha knew not enough of them would fall. At the moment, the only thing that mattered was getting as many of these creatures as far away from the castle walls as possible to give his allies the time to regroup.

"Get inside! Fall back!" he ordered the villagers and youkai, then turned and leapt into the relative safety of the castle walls.

"How was that for breathing room?" he smirked to his mate as she slid from his back.

"Very intelligent." she praised, favoring him with a warm smile.

"Keh."

He quickly scanned the inside of the castle.

"Where the hell is wolf boy?"

"Gathering up stragglers." Kouga announced as he ran into sight, a child under each arm.

"These two were the last ones. The bugs may be many, demo they're as dumb as rocks."

"How so?" Kagome questioned, ushering these children towards the castle.

"They're not even bothering to attack from behind."

"Keh, I'll take the good news as it comes. Everyone inside the castle!" Inuyasha called to the refugees.

"It's defendable."

Kouga nodded.

"Agreed. All able bodied archers! Set up a line inside the entryway!"

Inuyasha gripped Kagome's arm to restrain her a moment.

"Kagome, I want you in there with the other humans while we set up a line out here."

"Nani?"

"If any of the bugs get past us, you'll be the last line of defence for those people."

But the look in his eyes betrayed what he truly meant to tell her. Kagome could see his fear and worry for her shining in his golden eyes, silently pleading to accept his plan so she could be safe from the brunt of the battle. Her hand tightened on her bow and she nodded in resolution. Just as he turned to join the wolf youkai massing on the bailey, she gave his arm a tug to have him to turn back to her. Her lips fastened to his, conveying her anxiety and hope to him all at once.

"Be safe, koshii." she whispered to him.

He gave her a confident grin.

"I promise, Untenshi. Now, go."

She ran up the short steps to just within the castle's entryway, an arrow notched and ready to pull tight at any given moment. The lone hanyou turned to the castle's outer walls, frowning. He could hear the enemy returning in full force, could smell their stench approaching. He risked a quick glance to the youkai standing with him. The faint smell of fear lingered beneath their bravado.

That's right, morons, be afraid, demo be more afraid for the ones we have to protect.

Inuyasha looked over his shoulder to Kagome, more to reassure himself that she was far enough back that she wouldn't be a ready target. Turning back he caught sight of the season's first snowflakes beginning to drift down to the ground. He could almost hear them touch the earth so much the silence was deafening.

No birds sang, no gulls cried above them.

Even the crashing waves seemed to have quieted.

Straining slightly he could just barely hear the silent clicking of the scorpion creatures' claws and body armour scraping against stone and frozen ground. With each sound he could almost picture their large claws snapping shut and their spindly legs quickly moving them from one place to the next. Inuyasha's hand closed over the hilt of his sword, unnerved by the distant sounds and overbearing silence.

A sudden loud shriek rendered the air.

"Here they come!" Ginta shouted.

All eyes fixed on the wall where a living wave of black poured over, scorpion men skittering into the bailey relentlessly. The clicking of insect legs and the loud clamping of deadly claws filled the air, drowning out the cries of fear from the women and children huddling within the castle. Tetsusaiga glowed to life brightly, almost aching for a battle. With the seemingly unending waves of scorpion beasts pouring into the castle, the sword's wish to fight would not be disappointed.

Rising like some towering tsunami over the wolf youkai and lone hanyou, the scorpions bore down on their foes, their numbers preventing any charge of any kind on their part. Claws, swords and talons met with dull crashes, hard outer shells causing sparks with each strike the defenders attempted. A few of the youkai managed to get past mighty claws, severing heads of a few from the attacking hoards. Scorpion bodies began to litter the ground, piling high with each successful if not few blows from the youkai and hanyou, but the onslaught just didn't seem to end. For every scorpion beast that was killed, a dozen or more seemed to appear behind it to take its place.

To anyone watching it seemed like a hopeless battle.

To the defenders, this was a fight they absolutely had to win at all costs.

Defeat was not an option.

Kouga felt like laughing as he fought. Before, when he had first encountered these creatures with his pack, they had been severely outnumbered and they had no clue as to how to kill them. But now he and his pack knew how to dispatch them. And his beloved Kagome had told them how. A large beast charged at Kouga and he ducked beneath its claws, ripping its head off in one upward blow. He smiled at the clean kill. His skill and prowess in battle had to impress the lovely female. She had to see that he was the stronger and smarter choice as a mate.

Risking a glance to Kagome he felt his blood freeze.

She had taken a few steps outside the protective safety of the castle entryway, arrows flying from her bow to protect her friends and Inuyasha. So intent was she on protecting her friends that she had failed to see the scorpion coming straight for her. Kouga broke the line of defence to go to her rescue, only to see Inuyasha beat him to her.

Tetsusaiga made quick work of the creature too engrossed in his target to be able to block the blow. Inuyasha blocked the attacks of a few other beasts before looking to his mate.

"Get back inside!" he ordered.

She merely blinked in surprise, realizing what had almost happened, making a quick dash back up the steps. Taking a bracing breath, Kagome returned her attention to the battle, drawing her bow at ready. She saw the surviving youkai and Inuyasha being forced back by the beasts, step by agonizing step, until the defenders stood within the door. With each step back they took, Kagome took a matching step back, signaling the refugees to do the same.

The floor beneath her feet seemed to tremble, but she relegated it to the intensity of the battle raging outside. Instead, she concentrated on the fight, launching an arrow into the fray every so often to pick off the scorpion men who got too close. The youkai and Inuyasha seemed to be holding them off just at the castle door, neither of them advancing or retreating.

That was when the dull sound of stone grinding on stone reached the young Miko's ears.

Dark blue eyes quickly scanned every possible source for this sound; looking to the ceiling, the support columns, the walls. Nothing seemed to be causing the noise.

A sudden insight forced her eyes down to the floor.

Could they be…?

She shook off the thought, deeming it too improbably a course of action for beings that hadn't even bothered blocking the back of the castle, a means for their escape.

From the front line, the ear Inuyasha kept trained on his mate picked up the drone of grinding stone along with one more sound. There was a scraping of something against hard earth and rock, much like a sword scraping the ground. It was cavernous, echoing beneath his feet…

He froze.

_Beneath_ his feet!

Inuyasha turned from the battle, his eyes on the floor beneath Kagome's feet. An intricate lattice work of fractures were winding their way across the stones, tiny plumes of dust rising from a pressure beneath. The grinding sound grew in intensity as he watched, a few of the youkai glancing back to see what the source of the noise was. Incredulity and slight fear crossed their faces.

Kagome saw their looks and suddenly understood.

Inuyasha's muscles coiled, ready to pounce and whisk Kagome out of harm's way…

Too late.

The young Miko couldn't help the scream of both surprise and terror as the floor beneath her feet surged upwards before being sucked back down into the inky darkness. Almost the same moment she vanished down the gaping hole, innumerable scorpion men gushed from the opening to invade the entry hall, attacking everything in sight.

"_Kagome!_" Inuyasha cried out, turning from the first wave of attackers to this new assault.

Kouga, too, turned.

A hole in the floor seemed to ooze scorpion beasts from the very place Kagome had once stood. Amidst the sea of black creatures, the wolf youkai Alpha could see a blur of red and silver cutting down creature after creature, Tetsusaiga somehow re-sheathed and forgotten at Inuyasha's hip.

Kouga could only watch and blink in amazement.

"Oh, shit…"

The hanyou used bare claws and sharp teeth to desperately slice through his foes, screaming the human girl's name in obvious fear for her life and safety. No matter how many beasts swarmed the hanyou, they were no match for him in his present state. Concern for his mate was fueling his attacks, making them far more vicious than even a demon-rage could make them. Where once he had been unable to, his newly found determination gave him the strength to tear through his enemies' armor as if it were nothing, tearing limbs from bodies, avoiding and slashing off poisonous tails aimed at him. A primal roar filled the air as scorpion beast after scorpion beast fell in his wake, torn apart with wanton abandon.

Fighting off a few beasts of his own, the realization suddenly hit Kouga. Kagome's kidnapping was what made Inuyasha so formidable. His deep-rooted affection for and bond with the human girl was what made him so much stronger.

He fought for her safety, for her life.

Kouga noticed that he, himself, did not feel the overwhelming desire to charge headlong into the battle, the reckless disregard for his own life, that the hanyou obviously felt. True, he cared very much for the lovely Miko, but it spurred nothing of what the hanyou was obviously experiencing.

A mate, even a potential mate, would feel the need to do this, to fight as Inuyasha did at that moment.

Kouga didn't feel the need.

_The mutt really, truly is the only one to be her mate_, he realized as his heart gave a slight and painful twist.

With that one thought he finally saw his motives. As a youkai male, part of him demanded to be a leader in all packs he came across, to dominate. He had seen Inuyasha and his friends as a rival pack, one he had to take over, and the hanyou's affections for Kagome labeled her as the Alpha female of the pack to be dominated. The moment of clarity surprised even him. All the times he had chased after Kagome, it had been to gain control over the hanyou's pack through her.

Finally close enough, Inuyasha dove into the squirming black tide, down the hole, frantically searching for his mate's scent or the sound of her voice. It was the only thought that dominated his mind, aside for killing every last one of these creatures for daring to take his Kagome in the first place. He screamed out her name as he cut down the last of his enemies within these ancient catacombs. Dirt and stone fell in large chunks around him from an unstable ceiling and walls, just as he faintly heard his mate cry out his name, sounding so distant.

_Those bastards couldn't have gotten her so far already_, he wondered mutely.

Around a sharp bend in the catacomb tunnel he saw the reason why sounds were distant. The dust had settled to barely a foot off the ground from a cave-in the beasts had no doubt caused to block any sort of chase and attempted rescue. It blocked the entire height and width of the tunnel. Inuyasha roared with all ferocity, launching himself at the rubble, digging frantically. The more dirt and stone he removed, the more fell from the walls and ceiling. A particularly large chunk fell directly in front of him, forcing him back by a step. His clawed hands balled into fists in rage.

_Iie, I'm no good to Kagome if I get myself buried here_, he reasoned. _Tunnel, tunnel… If there's a way in then there's a way out._

The moment he came to that realization was the moment the weakening walls finally gave up standing after the recent cave-in. Hunks of stone and earth tumbled from their ancient resting places, raining down on the lone hanyou. Inuyasha quickly turned on his heels, racing down the tunnel to the one entrance he knew remained intact as the catacomb fell in around him.

Kaede kept her gaze locked on the hole in the floor the entire time, from the moment Kagome had disappeared into its black depths, to when Inuyasha dove in after her, to now as she waited for their return. Over the noise of the continuing battle she could hear the ugly sounds of groaning stones from the instability the tunnel below was adding to the floor. A loud rumbling rendered the air as a great plume of dust and small stones exploded upwards from the hole, signaling a complete collapse of the tunnel. Kaede felt her blood freeze in fear of the lives of her two friends down there until a blur of bright red leapt up from the dust, coughing from the powder drifting through the air.

"Inuyasha! Where is Kagome?" she nearly demanded.

He all but snarled angrily.

"The fuckin' bugs collapsed the catacombs! She's on the other side heading for gods know where!"

He scanned the smaller number of scorpion men still fighting with the wolf youkai. Inuyasha was very much surprised to see Kouga and his pack taking an active part in protecting the humans. This was uncharacteristic of him or of any youkai. Humans were seen as lesser creatures, not worth protecting.

"Keh, the asshole has a heart after all." he muttered.

"Where are the rest of the bugs?" he yelled to Kaede.

"Most of the creatures left the moment Kagome was taken!" she told him. "It seems she was the target from the beginning!"

This only served to further infuriate the hanyou.

No one was allowed to do this to his mate.

He looked to the huddled mass of humans, most staring at him expectantly. These were the humans he had vowed to protect, the villagers from Musashi who knew he would never leave them undefended.

Inuyasha was torn.

How could he keep his promise to them while going off to save his Kagome?

"Go after the bugs!" Kouga shouted at him.

He blinked.

"Nani?"

"We'll hold off the rest of them here! You go after Kagome!"

He frowned at the fighting youkai.

"Oi, what's your angle?"

"No angle, you thick-headed moron!"

He took off the head of his opponent before turning to face the dog demon.

"It's a mate's duty to look after his woman."

Inuyasha was stunned, to say the least.

Kouga, his long time rival for Kagome's attention and affection, the one youkai who was convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the young Miko belonged to him and no one else, was actually conceding defeat?

He just stared at the wolf youkai for a brief moment, trying to determine if this was some sort of a trick or if it was really the truth. He then simply gave a curt nod and took off, part of his mind reassured that the humans would be under the protection of an entire band of youkai. They stood a better chance than on their own.

Outside, snowflakes fell in large and heavy clumps. Already a blanket of snow lay on the land, covering any tracks the scorpion beasts might have left behind in their retreat. But Inuyasha didn't need to see any tracks to be able to track them. The falling snow had cleaned the air of most other smells, leaving only the freshest scents to waft to the hanyou's nose. He could smell them, smell that disgusting mix of insect, death and sweat that seemed to permeate their bodies. It had taken everything he had not to gag from the stench when they had gotten too close. In the middle of a battle, that was a dangerous distraction.

With two mighty leaps, Inuyasha cleared the castle's outer walls and ran through the snow, following the stench of the scorpion beasts. Leaping over a low rocky hill he took brief notice of the opening the creatures had dug to reach the catacombs. From there on their scent was thick on the air and easy to follow. Sneaking along the edges of that scent was the scent belonging to a terrified Kagome.

Inuyasha growled, gritting his teeth, doubling his speed.

_Hang on, Kagome, I'm coming! _

For Higurashi Kagome, the entire rush away from the castle in the clutches of these scorpion beasts was a near blur. The race through the catacombs had been a mere blink of an eye, first deep blackness before she was near blinded by sudden daylight. She was aware of the cold of the beginning winter air around her, made worse by the speed at which they were moving. She was aware of the thick falling snow clinging to her hair and clothing, her body heat melting it and making her even colder. But what she was most aware of was the strength of the huge pincers secured around her waist and arm. Every so often they would tighten around her, then release as if the creature remembered that she was there.

Before long she began to recognize landmarks, telling her that she had been brought back to Musashi. Permanent landmarks were actually all that were left. Most of the forest was gone, save a gracing patch around the Go-Shin-Boku. No doubt the power of the ancient and sacred tree protected it from the ravages of these beasts. Everywhere Kagome looked she could see countless legions of scorpion men gathered here and there, fighting amongst each other for status.

Then, through the falling snow, Kagome saw where she was being taken.

The structure rose up from the ground like some ancient mound, its muddy walls a stark contrast to the falling white. Some form of internal heat kept the snow from collecting along the exterior, melting upon contact.

A hive!

Without pausing, her captors raced right up to the structure and dove through the low entrance at its base. The stench inside was deplorable, as was the growing heat. Kagome recognized this scent from having spent years fighting creatures that surrounded themselves with it.

The stench of death.

Bones littered the ground and the young Miko distracted her frightened mind by trying to identify the species of each skull. The small animals were easy to name. The larger bones obviously belonged to any number of youkai.

_Kami…_ she shuddered. _If youkai fell to these… these things, then what kind of a chance do we stand?_

Seconds after this thought she was all but thrown into a large central chamber. Unable to regain her balance quick enough, Kagome stumbled and landed in an unceremonious sprawl of the hard-packed earth. She slowly raised herself to her knees, blue eyes scanning the entire room from top to bottom for any place to hide or any means of escape. The heat that reigned in the chamber was near stifling, her skin beginning to itch from the humidity of her clothes combined with the ambient temperature. Scratching at her arms slightly, she looked to the doors of the chamber, wondering why the creatures were holding back just within the shadows.

It was as if they didn't dare enter.

Turning in place she saw a strange elevated bench near one of the walls. Turning a little more she saw something that made her heart freeze.

The Hone Kui no Ido!

It dominated the center of the room, a glowing bubble of pure blue-white energy just hovering within its lip. Kagome didn't dare approach it, feeling the energy crackle through the air, invisible to the eye. It was malevolent energy, bordering on evil. But part of her mind was daring her to go over and lay her hands against the walls of the well. It took everything the young Miko had not to give in to her own subconscious mental goading.

"So, you are the young woman of power my children speak of." a smooth, feminine voice echoed through the chamber.

Kagome looked around quickly, peering into every shadow in every conceivable angle to find the source of the voice. There was no sign of the speaker, only the telltale sound of spindly legs skittering across hard stone. It unnerved the Miko to the point of annoyance. If her captor wanted to speak to her, the least she could do was have the decency to show herself.

"Hai, you do have great power. Amazing for a child." the voice continued. "Your scent is filled with your power, yet smells like nothing I have ever experienced in this world."

The woman's tone was far too patient and sweet, almost bordering on sarcasm.

"Who are you?" Kagome demanded.

"My name will mean nothing to you."

"Then what does it matter if I know it or not?"

There was a pause of consideration.

"Iie, I suppose not. Call me Akuma Sasori. What of you, child? What is the name of the girl who holds so much power?"

"I… I'm Kagome… and I have absolutely no idea what power you're talking about!"

"Kagome… Do you know why I had my children bring you here?"

The Miko could hear the smile in Akuma's voice, still unable to see her in the shadows.

"I… I suppose it's revenge."

"Revenge? Why revenge?"

Akuma was almost toying with her.

"I… killed… or helped to kill your… children."

"Mm, that you did. And revenge may have been my original reason, demo now…"

The scraping of claw on stone stopped for an instant, hitting hard on a surface immediately after.

"I want to know more about you."

"Nani?"

"I want to know more about you. I have had very little female company in the past and the reports my scouts have brought me have made me curious."

"About me?"

"Hai. I want you to tell me everything about yourself."

Kagome paused in thought.

She didn't want anything to do with this being, let alone tell her all about her life. The longer she could keep this… this hive queen talking and distracted, then the more time it gave for Inuyasha to come get her out of this mess. She was positive he was on his way, she could almost feel her mate's presence. And if this queen was distracted then she couldn't give orders to her drones on how to properly defend the hive.

At least, that was what Kagome hoped.

Insect behaviors, even hanyou or youkai insect behaviors were something completely alien to her.

Perhaps if she omitted certain aspects of her life…

"I'll tell you on two conditions."

"Two? How very shrewd of you."

"Two conditions, or you'll learn nothing."

Insect legs scrambled across the floor somewhere behind her and Kagome around to face…

Nothing.

_Shimatta, that's getting annoying. _

"What are your conditions?" Akuma asked carefully.

Kagome took a deep breath.

"One, you have to let me see you."

"Why?"

"Well… be-because… because I feel like a complete idiot talking to a disembodied voice." she managed to think up quickly. "Face-to-face or no conversation."

"Very well. And the second condition?"

"If… if I tell you about myself, then… then you have to tell me about yourself… and why you're attacking us."

Akuma chuckled.

"Two very reasonable requests."

Peeling away from a dark shadow, Akuma's towering figure emerge into the garish light emitted by the well. The young Miko swallowed hard at the sight. By the look of her face, had this creature been born human, she would have been very lovely. Her face was that any lovely noblewoman of the time could have had; high cheekbones, soft eyes that only seemed harsh by the crimson of her irises, lips hinted with a natural blush. Her skin had a flushed ashen color, giving her some sort of warmth, and she sported a kind of armor across her chest in a form of modesty, though barely. Impossibly long flame red locks cascaded around her shoulders seeming like molten rivers of lava, their color only rivaled by that of her talon-like nails.

But from the waist down was where all semblance of humanity ended.

Covered in blue-black scales that glistened brightly was the body of a pincer-less scorpion, the most deadly looking stinger adorning the end of a long and hypnotically swinging tail.

Tearing her eyes away from her staring, Kagome noticed the frown that had appeared on Akuma's face. The insect queen moved forward and the young Miko had to fight with herself not to back away from fear.

"You have the same look on your face as every other human who has crossed my path; Disgust." Akuma spat.

"Ii-Iie, not disgust."

"Then what?"

"Fear."

"Why? Because of what I am? Because I am hanyou?"

"Iie…"

"Then why?"

"Be-because you're so big… be-because you could kill in the blink of an eye. You… you're dangerous."

"Because I'm hanyou."

"That has nothing to do with it. Even a human of your size would scare people."

The frown melted to curiosity as the scorpion woman walked around her captive. This girl was definitely like no one she had ever met before. Never once did she lay the blame with Akuma's hanyou heritage. Never once did she fear what Akuma was, only what Akuma was capable of doing. She lowered herself to the ground, directly in front of the captured human.

"And now, as per our deal… Tell me about yourself, Kagome."

Inuyasha ran through the thickly falling snow with all the speed he possessed, determined to reach the creatures that had dared take his mate from him. Nonetheless it was not enough to catch up to the scorpion beasts already so far ahead. Their speed was incredible in the deep drifts that had already gathered on the ground, faster than any youkai he had encountered. No doubt they had already reached their destination, wherever that was. He would soon learn that objective seeing as the trail these beasts left was so easy to follow.

Easy to the point where a blind man could find it without effort.

Inuyasha had crossed into Musashi Country only a few moments ago on the scorpions' trail and, if his senses weren't playing tricks on him, the creatures seemed to be heading back to Kaede's village, the place he had called home for the last five years. He had recognized a few landmarks and the scent of the Go-Shin-Boku.

But why were they heading back there?

_Who the fuck cares!_ he self-argued. _They attacked the castle, they have Kagome… What the fuck else do I need to know?_

Running past the tree line into the open, Inuyasha came to a skidding stop at the sight offered up to him.

"Kuso…"

Rising out of the snow to a mountainous height was a mount that reminded the hanyou of hives used by beekeepers… only thousands of times larger. Snow refused to stick to its surface, melting off in large patches where it had managed to collect. Forming a black skirt all around the rim of this hive were hundreds upon hundred of scorpion warriors in the midst of sparring matches, testing their strength against each other.

Before any of them saw him, Inuyasha dove into the nearest snow bank to hide, carefully peering over the edge to keep his foes in sight. Fortunately for him, the wind had recently shifted and was blowing towards him and not against his back. If the beasts had any kind of a developed sense of smell, then they wouldn't be able to smell him for now.

With the number of scorpion warriors milling around the hive structure, how was he ever going to find a way to get in?

Though part of him was itching for a fight with his new foes, the part that was steadily winning ground knew that even if he succeeded in fighting his way through the outside warriors there were no doubt just as many or more waiting inside.

He studied the hive for a long time, studied the closest distance between it and the surviving forest. The distance wasn't impossible. Not too much in any case. Given enough speed he could cross that distance with a flying leap. A plan slowly began to take shape in his mind, a plan that he knew was one of the better ones he had devised in a long time. It all depended on him making one very crucial move, a leap over a slightly vaster distance than he was used to.

He growled low to himself as his frown deepened.

_I can make that_, he reasoned. _I_ have _to make it._

Resolved to his course of action Inuyasha retraced his steps to gain running room to jump. Mighty hanyou strides built up his momentum as a powerful half-demon leap shot him up in the air heading towards the hive's imposing structure. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground below for any sign that the sparring scorpions had noticed him. Thankfully no one looked up. He landed on the side of the structure, his claws digging into the caked mud-like material to hold firm. Again, he checked the crowd below for any sign he had been spotted.

None of them seemed to have noticed.

_Damn bugs are even dumber than wolf boy said they were_, Inuyasha snorted.

Careful of the size of the debris he was creating he began to punch at the wall with his fist, slashing at the material with sharp claws to get inside the hive. Despite his strength and best efforts it took several long minutes to get through the thick material. The texture reminded him very much of what he remembered concrete felt like in Kagome's time, hard and granular beneath his fingers. Before long he had a hole chipped open in the side of the hive, large enough for him to squeeze through.

Inside the structure was pitch dark, no doubt due to the scorpions' lacking need of light to see by. Inuyasha blinked once to get used to the dark before beginning the slow creeping exploration of the level he was on. His hand gripped the hilt of Tetsusaiga each time he approached a bend in the corridor, pausing for a moment to listen for enemies waiting to ambush him. The moment the insects scurried by, he would rush down the tunnel to the next niche or alcove he could find to conceal himself for the moment. Inuyasha sampled the air, resisting the urge to gag from the stench. He could just barely pick up the subtle nuances of Kagome's scent through the layers of other smells piled on top of each other. Much to his relief he didn't smell her blood. Chances were she was still alive.

Woe to the scorpion creatures who would be stupid enough to kill her.

Kagome tugged at her sleeve absently, her eyes fixed on the glowing orb bulging out of the Hone Kui no Ido.

"… and after five years of traveling here and there, learning all I needed to learn, I decided to come back to my friends only to find the village sacked and my friends on their way to the castle you also attacked a little while ago."

She resisted the urge to wince at her own words. She hated lying, but she was not about to tell Akuma where she truly came from. Or, more importantly, from when she came from. If this queen found out, she would no doubt try to get there and conquer Kagome's world. She could hear Akuma tapping the tips of her legs of the ground in an unconscious move, greedily absorbing every word the young Miko spoke, sometimes asking for more when she knew Kagome was holding back.

"A Miko… who traveled with and befriended a hanyou…" Akuma began softly. "Unheard of."

"I can't imagine not being his friend."

"You are much more than just his friend, little Miko."

"Na-nani?"

"His scent is all over you."

The scorpion hanyou blinked suddenly, a wry smile curling up her lips.

"You didn't tell me you were his mate."

"Um… that… that's recent." Kagome blushed.

Akuma frowned abruptly in slight confusion.

"Hanyou have no reasons to give. Hanyou feel no love, give no love, get no love. Hanyou seek only power. Hanyou are hated among all creatures. Hanyou will never find someone who will love them for who they are. Hanyou are destined to die alone. It is a known fact by all humans and youkai."

"I don't believe that. I heard it enough in the past, but I just don't believe that. No one, be they hanyou, human or youkai, deserves to live and die without love. That would be too cruel."

Akuma could hold back her blink in surprise, hiding it with a deeper frown.

"Your hanyou is only with you because he feels your power. The moment he gets what he wants or finds someone stronger, he'll leave you."

"Iie. I know he loves me. I can see it in the way he looks at me, feel it in the way he holds me."

"All lies." she hissed.

Kagome looked at her captor curiously.

"That's been drilled into you for years, ne? You weren't allowed to forget it?"

"Hai. Because it's the truth."

"The truth of a misguided few. Would… would you tell me… about your past?"

Akuma sat there for a long moment, just staring at Kagome with thinly veiled suspicion. No one had ever asked her about her past. No one had ever given her a choice. Yet here was this girl asking her about her life, letting her have the option of talking about it or not.

Why was this child so different?

"Why would my past, a hanyou's past, interest you?" Akuma questioned.

"It would help me understand."

The scorpion queen blinked.

The Miko wanted to understand?

"My Okaasan was raped by a youkai." Akuma began slowly. "I was the result. I killed her at birth. I was told it was because I ripped her insides apart and stung her. I might have."

"It was hardly your fault-"

"Hai, because I am hanyou!"

"You were a baby! You didn't know, how could you have known? And stop blaming what you are. Just because you're half demon doesn't mean you're automatically a killer."

Akuma paused.

"Perhaps… The Kobushi who took me after that raised and trained me for his purposes. No one would dare anything against him with a hanyou like me defending him."

Kagome picked up on her tone of voice, a slight twinge of old pain.

"He was cruel to you, ne?"

She very nearly growled.

"Hai. I was supposed to be his weapon. I belonged to him. The last beating he gave me was the last for the both of us."

A tiny grin turned up the corners of her lips.

"He trained me well, he never saw the move until it was too late. By Kami, his death felt so good."

"How… how old were you then?"

"Some seven summers."

The young Miko couldn't help the growing pity she felt for her captor.

"So young…"

"Young of body, old of mind and spirit thanks to his beatings. I must have wandered for a year before an old daimyo found me. He was strict, but informative for the little time I was with him. I learned he used to be a bouzo, demo he was thrown out for practicing the dark arts. He continued practicing even after that and I watched him. He taught me spells and chants that I learned could protect me, if ever I could master them."

She chuckled softly.

"I was so inept when I began. When the neighboring village heard he was harboring a hanyou, they sacked the shrine and murdered Shalto-houshi, then took me to their village where I became an amusement for them. I was chained to the village center, beaten, taunted, left to die."

"Demo, you escaped."

"I forced myself to stay alive, to practice the spells Shalto-houshi had taught me. Late one night, I succeeded. I ransacked the village in repayment to my _kind hosts_. I never found anyone like you out there. Everyone was hard and cruel to me. Another Kobushi found me. He was a lot like the first one, saw me only as a possible weapon. So my fighting training resumed. At night I would go to the castle's shrine and read every scroll I could get my hands on, all the spells they had were memorized."

Her form straightened as the memories became clearer in her mind.

"Whole armies fell before me. The Kobushi made sure I knew the rules of my service to him. He was teishu, I was dorei. His words were my law. I stayed with him for two decades before I felt the need to find a companion. The Kobushi told me I would never find a mate. Hanyou can never know love or affection; that was one of the first rules he taught me. Demo I knew there had to be a place where I belonged. If not in this world, then in another. To get to that world, to escape, I first had to kill my captor. Another Kobushi died at my hands. Those we had conquered in the past left us their most powerful spells and oldest scrolls. I studied them all. One spoke of opening a door to another world, any world one chose. I chose a world that had more of my kind."

"Then… they're not your real children?"

Akuma chuckled again.

"Hardly. I couldn't have all male children even if I wanted to. That's just impossible."

"Mm, guess you're right."

"These handsome beings made me their goddess, their queen. They are all natives of the world I escaped to. I was happy with them for a while, demo I wanted more. More than the Hanshu I chose as a mate. I want to teach all humans the cost of belittling and hunting down hanyou, to teach them how it feels to be hunted like my kind, to know that there's no escaping the hatred. That well," and she motioned to the Hone Kui no Ido, "… holds the power to open the door between our two worlds. All the youkai that were thrown into its depths charged it with energies that go beyond our world… it even can transcend time, it would seem."

Kagome resisted the urge to bristle at her words.

"Demo I seem to be unable to open the portal wider than for just one of my children at a time."

_Thank goodness!_ Kagome thought in relief.

Akuma turned to smile at Kagome.

"Demo, all that will change soon."

"Na-nani?"

"You will help me, child. You and your hanyou."

The Miko blinked.

"Help you?"

"Hai. Your power is strong enough, stronger than mine, to make it all happen."

She stood, walking towards the well in oblivious glee.

"And the strength of the hanyou will make me even more powerful. Both together will give me plenty of power to wrench open the door to our worlds and bring all my children here in one glorious wave of destruction."

The scorpion warriors guarding the doors trilled happily, claws and legs clicking in excitement. Kagome looked to their red eyes glowing in the darkness in fear before returning her attention to Akuma.

"All this… for revenge?"

"Hai." she hissed, stroking the energy bubble before her. "Revenge! I will drain your powers to add to my own, then I will do the same with your mate."

"Drain?"

Akuma gave the frightened girl a sweet smile and a knowing look.

"Hai, drain. Do not worry, child. For being so understanding, I will make it quick."

The girl from the future didn't like the almost insane expression hovering over the scorpion female's face.

"Make… make what quick?" she asked, though Kagome was sure she already knew the answer.

Over the sounds of clicking insects she could just barely hear the sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. She braced herself, an insight letting her know what would soon happen and just what she had to do to escape it.

The insect very nearly laughed.

"Silly girl. Your death will be quick, of course."

"Unlike yours." a voice snarled.

The moment Kagome heard the familiar growl she flattened herself to the ground. A blast of bright light and very powerful wind ripped just above her, catching all the scorpion beings off guard and hurling them in every which direction. Akuma went flying backwards, across the chamber, to slam hard into a wall. The force of her impact, combined with what energy blast did not hit Akuma, caused the wall to fracture in places. Some of the fissures were even large enough for a person to hide it.

Scorpion warriors raced towards their queen in worry as she picked herself gingerly off the ground. Akuma's red eyes looked to where she had left her captive and widened marginally. Standing protectively over a huddling Kagome was a red clad, silver-haired dog hanyou. A long, almost ridiculously oversized sword was clutched in the half-demon's hands, glowing menacingly to ward off any attack by the scorpion warriors. His red-flecked gold eyes almost dared any of the warriors within the chamber to try anything against him, a dangerous growl rumbling in his throat.

Akuma chuckled gleefully as she stood.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to come, my fellow hanyou."

Inuyasha snarled.

"I am not your fellow anything, bug."

She seemed a little confused by his reaction.

"You are hanyou, like I am. That makes us family… of sorts."

His frown deepened.

"Hardly."

She blinked and straightened to her full height. With the flick of a hand Akuma signalled her warriors to surround the pair to prevent any form of escape. She took a moment to straighten her hair in a show of arrogance, then took a few measured steps towards the two.

"I must congratulate you, my silver-haired Otouto. Making it this far without being noticed by my children is quite a feat."

"I am not your Otouto, bug." he merely replied, his tone low and dangerous.

"Ah, demo you are. All hanyou are family. We all want the same things in life. We all suffered the same."

One scorpion warrior got too close for Inuyasha's liking and was sent flying backwards with the barest sweeps from Tetsusaiga. His reddening eyes turned back to the queen, targeting her as the prime opponent.

"Do I look like I'm suffering?"

Akuma pouted.

"Maybe not now. By the way, nice touch telling this Miko you were mates. It pretty much ensures she'll stay with you for life no matter what you do. Humans are so sentimental when it comes to those things."

Inuyasha was getting more than a little annoyed at the insect queen. First off, she talked too much. All through the journey to the hive he had built up his rage in preparation for a fight and it seemed all she wanted to do was talk his ear off.

Add to that she was now calling him a liar about his feelings for his Kagome…

"I never told her anything that wasn't the truth."

Just within his line of sight he could see Kagome look up at him in awe and adoration.

He smirked inwardly.

Hai, he would never lie to her.

He could never lie to her.

Akuma Sasori felt most of her patience bleed away at his stubborn refusal to see the truth in the matter. Strange as this Miko was, she had to be with the half-breed to tap into his strength for something she wasn't saying. Humans could only care for humans, every other creature was a beast of burden or a weapon for them. Yet Kagome's actions and words constantly spoke of her compassion and acceptance of what was different. That she did not hate the half-breeds of the world as the rest of her kind did.

And this half-breed was just as frustrating to try to understand. She couldn't understand why he didn't have the same general view about humans as she had. Had he not live around enough humans to know how much they hated him, how much he was despised by every last one of them? He had to be solely after the Miko's powers. That was the only reason Akuma could possibly see that he remained at the girl's side; that he continued to act as if he cared for the girl. He was after something that required great power and the girl had more than enough to spare.

Hanyou could not feel anything other than anger, hate, sadness, loneliness…

No hanyou could go against the unspoken rule.

It was inconceivable.

Impossible.

Unthinkable!

"Hanyou feel no love, give no love, get no love."

She spoke the rhetoric with as much disgust as she could muster, hating the taste of the words as much as the sound of them.

"Hanyou seek only power. Hanyou are hated among all creatures. Hanyou will never find someone who will love them for who they are. Hanyou are destined to die alone. You know this as well as I do!"

"So what if I do?"

"Then why do you persist in trying to prove the immutable wrong?" she nearly shrieked.

A wry smirk curled up one corner of his lips.

"Hanyou have no reasons to give."

Akuma stance changed slightly in some unspoken and subtle signal to her warriors. With shrill cries these scorpion men charged the hapless pair in a great wave to follow their queen's silent command. They had to kill the half-breed for defying her.

But Inuyasha was ready for the charge.

In the blink of an eye he had an arm wrapped around Kagome's waist and a mighty leap had him flying up and out of the way of the charge. The racing beasts were unable to slow in time, unceremoniously crashing into each other. The recovered from the impact quickly though, turning to face their target just as he landed across the room from them. Inuyasha knew he would never be able to defend his mate against all of them, especially if the insect queen called for reinforcements. His gold eyes scanned the chamber quickly, catching on the deep fissures that had opened up in the walls. A desperate idea formed in his mind.

If he couldn't fight, then he would protect.

He turned and raced to one of the fissures, urging Kagome to squeeze inside it quickly. She didn't argue, feeling the urgency of the situation. He sheathed Tetsusaiga and held it in his fist as he squeezed in after her. It was a tight fit and the crevasse only stretched a few meters, but at least it would give them a moment to think of an escape plan. The pair managed to crawl in far enough to be out of claws' reach. Even so, the scorpion men continued to try to grasp them, large pincers snapping loudly in the narrow passage, unable to touch the pair.

Inuyasha spared them only the briefest moment to growl at them before turning his full attention to his mate. Kagome had managed to turn around in the crawl space to face him, dark blue eyes nearly glowing in the dim light. The fear he saw swimming in her eyes caused a lump to form in his throat and he tenderly cupped her face.

"Are you alright?" he asked, just loud enough to be heard over the snapping of scorpion pincers.

All of the fears Kagome had kept bottle up inside, from the moment of the first attack at the castle to the moment Akuma said she would kill them, came rushing out in a wave of tears and she threw herself against his chest. She held him as if her life depended on it, her face buried in the crook of his shoulder, fists bunching into the folds of his haori.

Inuyasha blinked, crushing her tight in his arms. Her scent was a confused jumble of both fear and relief. He nuzzled the side of her head tenderly, purring softly in reassurance, hoping to soothe away the fear that hung so heavy around her. He could feel her form trembling in his arms and he held her tighter in response, burying her in his long sleeves.

"Shh, Koi, I have you now." he rumbled low, giving her shoulder a light nip.

"I… was so afraid… you wouldn't… get here… in time..." she hiccupped softly.

He stroked her hair lovingly.

"Shhh… Kagome…"

Kagome felt her panic begin to bleed away thanks to the strength of his arms surrounding her and the soft purring rumbling in her ear. It always amazed her how safe and comfortable she felt with the often brash hanyou. It was as if them moment she met him she knew he would always be there when she needed him the most. She breathed a deep sigh against his neck, willing herself to let go of the remaining tension to be able to think rationally and clearly.

Inuyasha's body jerked against hers abruptly, forcing him forward by a bit. His purr changed to a vicious growl, his arms releasing his mate to brace against the crevasse walls. Kagome looked up and saw the small grimace tensing his features, his head turned to scowl at the scorpion warriors behind him. Peering over his shoulder, the Miko saw the cause for his change in demeanour.

The scorpion had given up trying to reach them and drag them out of the crevasse. Instead, they were using their long tails to stab at anything within, hoping to kill the pair within their hiding place. Deadly stingers tore through Inuyasha's Hi-Nezumi haori and into his flesh, injecting lethal venom with each sting.

Kagome's breath locked in her throat in fear of her mate, her tears returning.

"Inuyasha!"

"I won't… let them… hurt you…!" he ground viciously in determination.

"Demo they're killing you!"

"I can… fight it…"

One of the deadly tails snuck under his arm, forcing Kagome to fall away on her left to avoid the deadly stinger. Just as she fell, another tail snuck by on Inuyasha's other arm. The Miko cried out in agony as the poisonous stinger jabbed into her side, injecting its venom immediately on impact.

"_Kagome!_" Inuyasha exclaimed in horror.

He dove forward, dragging her with him to the very back of the crevasse and out of harm's way, dropping his sword in the process. She was writhing in pain, clutching at her side as if she could alleviate the sensation. He lifted her shirt carefully to see her wound, a deep gash in her side where blood trickled forth. An ugly greenish bruise was already forming around it.

Inuyasha recognized these signs from the first attack on the village in Musashi.

It was too late to do anything.

Kagome was dying.

For what seemed an eternity, he just stared at the wound before looking up at the agony flitting across his mate's lovely features. His world grew progressively red with each pained whimper that escaped her throat until all he felt was the rage towards the beasts just outside.

He snarled suddenly.

They had hurt his Kagome, his life-mate.

No one alive or dead was allowed to lay a finger on his mate.

No creature in the Universe was allowed to harm his mate in any way.

He forbade it!

She was his, no one else's!

He decided whether and when she lived and died!

These beasts would pay dearly.

His low growl steadily grew louder and more vicious with each passing second. Kagome forced her eyes open and saw the gold of his eyes bleed to pure red, youkai stripes beginning their slow trek across his cheekbones. He bared his lengthening teeth as he looked over his shoulder, flexing his longer claws in anticipation. The Miko swallowed hard against her pain and at the sight of her hanyou lover.

Demon rage!

There would be no stopping him now.

Before she could say a word, Inuyasha was already racing out of the crevasse, tearing apart scorpion tails that were in his way until he re-emerged into the vast chamber.

Summoning her strength over the searing fire coursing through her veins and limbs, Kagome managed to half crawl, half drag herself to the entrance of crack in the wall, taking hold of the sheathed Tetsusaiga to offer herself some form of belated protection. She heard Inuyasha roar in primal fury before she saw him charging at the scorpion warriors.

He didn't seem to feel the blows and stings he received from his foes, didn't seem to feel the wounds and gashes opening with each impact. There was only a furious determination on his face and in his crimson eyes.

He was out for blood.

Akuma watched the wrath that had taken hold of the silver-haired half-demon with fascination. She knew her children's armor was strong enough to resist all forms of attacks by humans and youkai, yet this hanyou was cutting them down as if that armor was non-existent, tearing off tails and claws as if wet paper was the only thing holding them in place. His appearance had changed since he had hidden in the wall. His eyes glowed the most ferocious of reds, strange purple stripes having appeared on his cheeks. He didn't speak throughout his attack, only snarled and roared from time to time. Akuma turned her eyes to the crevasse in time to see Kagome crawl out. Her skin had grown pale and the scent of fear reached Akuma's senses. From that alone, the scorpion queen was able to tell the girl was dying, poisoned by the sting of one of Akuma's children.

The insect monarch snapped her gaze back to the raging hanyou.

Was this the reason for his rage, because Kagome was dying?

True, he would lose a great source of power, but no creature went into such a frenzy as this because of a loss of power. It was useless since that power was often reborn into a new creature, or someone new appeared with far more power than the first possessed.

Had what both he and the human told her been true?

Akuma scrambled backwards to avoid the lashing claws of the half-demon who had suddenly appeared before her. Risking a glance to the chamber she saw the piles of parts that had once belonged to her children, their soft innards and green blood oozing across the ground. It had only taken him a few brief minutes to dispatch them all.

_Demo, they were few to begin with_, she reasoned, a small smile curling her lips.

Just as she opened her mouth to call for reinforcements, the hanyou slashed at her throat. Akuma clutched at the wound, scurrying back and away. She tried to screech for her warriors, but only a hissing gurgle escaped her throat.

He had slashed her vocal cords!

In his furious attack on her he had cut away her only means of calling for help. She could not longer make a sound above a low, hoarse hiss. That was not nearly loud enough to call to her warriors for assistance.

She was on her own.

_Iie, the bastard!_ she hissed.

No doubt he had wanted to sever her head from her neck, but in his rage had miscalculated the blow.

Very well, he wants a fight? I'll give him one!

Her wound forgotten Akuma lunged at him, long talon-like nails at the ready to offer up some slashes of her own. This beast would die at her own hands, she would see to it.

Kagome struggled with her waning senses to stay conscious, watching the battle raging with fear for her mate. The two hanyou circled each other, swiping at each other with razor sharp claws and biting at each other when one got too close. Blood began to stain the ground with green and red itchor from the fighters. She saw Akuma lunge at Inuyasha, murder in her eyes, but the dog demon managed to leap out of the way, lunging onto her back. He roared with the vicious gashes he opened along Akuma's human and insect backs.

The insect queen rolled, effectively throwing her attacker off. In a move faster than the blink of an eye Akuma turned on herself and let fly her tail in a sweeping arc. It caught Inuyasha in the side with a resounding crack, breaking ribs, sending him flying against the side of the Hone Kui no Ido, momentarily stunning him. Akuma smiled as she advanced on the dazed hanyou, raising her tail to impale him trough the heart and be done with it. She would drink his blood afterwards and gain his amazing strength before doing the same to the dying girl. The one good thing about being a scorpion hanyou, poisons under any form had absolutely no effect on her.

The barest flex of muscles sent the razor tipped stinger towards its hapless prey.

Inuyasha dodged the intended blow at the last possible second, the stinger gouging a steaming and hissing hole in the well's side from her venom. Clawed hands latched onto the end of the tail, just beneath the deadly tip. Akuma whirled around in place, wildly swinging her tail back and forth to dislodge the hanyou.

But his grip held firm, digging deeper with each move she made, soon adding his teeth for extra strength.

The only sounds that filled the room were those of clicking insect legs, the desperate gurgles of pain and the need for aid from Akuma, and the feral growls and snarls from Inuyasha clinging to her tail. There was a sickening squelching sound, followed by a wet pop. The scorpion queen gurgled loudly in pain. Akuma's stinger had been ripped off due to the ever-increasing pressure from Inuyasha's grip. The hanyou went flying backwards, easily landing on his feet at some distance to continue to face off against his opponent.

Akuma stared at the dripping remains of her tail in horror.

She was defenseless now.

The hanyou would never give her the time she needed to cast any spell she might know to protect herself.

She had to buy herself some time.

She had to get away.

The half-demon's snarl caused her to look at him suddenly. He was in a low crouch, preparing to leap at her and finish this battle. His demeanor was made even more terrifying in the garish light thrown off by the portal within the well…

The well!

Blood red eyes snuck a peek at it quickly.

It was a way out.

All Akuma had to do was leap into its glowing portal and she would find herself in any number of worlds, or even any time in the past or future. It was a place away from the enraged hanyou, a place where she could recover, have the time to cast whatever spell she needed to protect herself from his next attack.

Now all she needed was to be faster than her foe.

Knowing this would be the last act she would do if she failed, Akuma summoned every ounce of speed and strength she possessed and launched herself forward in the direction of the strange well. From the corner of her eye she saw the hanyou bolt towards her in response, teeth bared in vicious intent. She twisted on herself, her tail connecting hard with the side of the half-demon's head, sending him sprawling. It bought her a few precious seconds to reach the well ahead of him. Akuma reached out a hand to the ancient stone and could almost feel its cold surface beneath her fingers before something grabbed her tail and yanked her back.

Kagome fought with senses and strength that were abandoning her, grappling with her consciousness to drag herself across the ground. She could hear the ferocity of the battle raging between the two hanyou. Sooner or later one of them would win and she was afraid it would not be her beloved Inuyasha. In his demon rage he often hesitated with his actions, something that could very well cost him his life.

Believing she could be some help to him somehow Kagome dragged herself to the well with Tetsusaiga clutched tight to her chest.

She had to reach the well.

Just a few more meters…

Whirling on herself Akuma used the hanyou's grip on her tail to pull him closer, her long talons slashing at his arms and chest to force him to let go. The second she felt his grip grow lax she turned in mid-leap to dive into the glowing portal hovering in the well.

She was almost there!

She was almost free!

Escape at last!

She jerked violently at the feel of a pair of arms snaking around her waist. Twisting around, she found a weak and pale Kagome holding on to her with all the strength she possessed.

_What the hell is she doing!?_ Akume screamed mentally.

"Kagome!" the monarch heard the half-demon cry out suddenly.

The last thing Akuma saw were his once blood red eyes now gold again and filled with fear and worry for the dying human girl clutching her waist.

Then the entire chamber exploded with a blinding flash of white.

Kagome blinked as she turned in place. Everything was suddenly blue white in color, bright but not blindingly so.

It was strange.

It almost looked like the limbo between times when she passed through the well, yet the sensation was off. There was no movement, no perceptible shift in time or place, just a void. She could feel the energies crackling just on the edge of her senses, threatening to explode, but never quite doing so.

"Am… am I… dead?" she questioned aloud.

"Iie, little Miko. And not for a long time yet."

Kagome froze, having recognized the voice, and whirled around. There stood Akuma Sasori with an almost godly radiance. Her once dark armour shimmered with a warm light, their color akin to that of cobalt. A patient smile was on her thin lips. The young Miko back peddled in fear, an almost instinctual move from seeing the scorpion monarch, falling to her rump unceremoniously. Akuma's expression changed to one of genuine worry, holding her hands up in a placating and non-threatening gesture. That was when Kagome froze. Akuma didn't seem to be terrible or malevolent anymore. She merely seemed to be surrounded by an aura of blameless valour.

"I mean you no harm, Kagome. I merely wish to apologize."

Again, Kagome blinked, staring at her in thinly veiled suspicion.

"Nani?"

Akuma smiled.

"Hai, I want to apologize. Gomen nasai, to you and your friends."

"I… I don't understand. Why…?"

"For now, you don't really need to understand. My reasons will come to you in time."

"Na-nani?"

Akuma chuckled.

"Ne, you're an inquisitive one."

"What… what happens now?"

She sighed heavily with finality.

"Now… I die."

Kagome felt tears sting her eyes. Despite everything she couldn't help but feel pity for the insect queen. None of her actions were really her fault. Decades of living under oppression after oppression, hate after hate, it was enough to twist anyone's heart and soul.

Akuma saw the look on Kagome's face chuckled softly.

"Arigatou, little Miko, for caring about what happens to me."

She paused a moment, as if listening to something in the distance. A bright smile illuminated her face.

"I wish to give you a gift before I leave."

"Gift?"

"Hai. Hanyou are forever destined to be alone… that's the accepted rule. You know that, ne? You heard it enough from me during our time together. Demo, to one who has conquered so much in the hopes of defying such an end, to dare to want more than what he was allotted… For that noble audacity I will not let him be robbed of a victory he so rightly earned."

_Is she talking about Inuyasha?_ Kagome self questioned in wonder.

The room began to grow steadily darker, Akuma's form fading into the growing shadow. Her voice sounded so distant all of a sudden.

"Time and destiny will not tear apart those two souls which I have ultimately chosen to favour…"

Inuyasha opened his eyes and groaned as the pain invaded his senses.

The demon rage was gone.

Pain radiated through his every limb as Inuyasha struggled to regain his senses. The blast from the well had thrown his clear across the chamber. He rose to his knees and looked around. Scorpion warriors lay in disassembled piles all around the ground. That strange queen of theirs was nowhere in sight, neither was the energy bubble that had hovered just within the lip of the well. He pressed a hand to his throbbing ribs with a slight grunt, feeling the need to pant to alleviate the burning in his lungs.

"Did… a lot more… damage… than I… ever… remember doing… Demo they… fuckin' deserved it… for what… they did to-"

He froze, eyes darting all over the chamber as he searched for his mate. He couldn't believe the foolish move she made mere seconds before. What could have possibly possessed her to crawl to the well and latch on to the insect matriarch's waist as this one began to tumble into the well. Gold eyes soon found Kagome, lying face down against the wall of the Hone Kui no Ido.

"Kagome…"

Fighting against limbs that refused to work, Inuyasha managed to drag himself across the ground to her side, carefully turning her limp form over. He cradled her carefully in his arms, half lying on top of her with his weight supported on his elbows. His arms trembled from the effort. She didn't move, didn't react to his presence, even after he nuzzled her cheek gently with a soft keen in the back of his throat.

His ears flattened back in worry.

"Kagome… Don't leave me, Aisai… You're not allowed to leave me… ever again… I won't let you…"

His acute sense of smell picked up a new scent mixing its way into Kagome's often intoxicating scent. It wasn't offensive, and it didn't seem to add to her appeal.

It was just there.

Indefinable.

Indistinct.

There, but not there.

A particularly sharp pain radiated up his side and he felt his head spin. Inuyasha laid his ear to her heart to stop the world from turning so fast without him, hearing the life-giving organ beat softly yet strongly within her chest. He listened to it for a moment; afraid it would suddenly stop, before another lancing pain escorted him to the oblivion.

Despaired screeches filled the night air surrounding the hive. All scorpion beast eyes turned to the structure, listening to the scream intently. The cry was suddenly taken up by all, warriors turning to face the hive with somber expressions on their insect like faces.

Sickening squelches rose from their ranks as individuals and gathered groups brought large pincers up to surround their own throats and squeeze hard.

Bodies fell in waves of black all around the hive, forever lifeless.

Inuyasha's senses returned quickly, his eyes opening with a start. He blinked repeatedly to try to clear away the fuzzy haze before his eyes. It was like trying to stare through water. The room was much too bright to be the hive. It seemed like daylight, being too bright for torch or even candlelight. When the haze finally lifted he could see the bamboo rods and wooden boards that formed the supports of a ceiling. This was definitely not the hive. He could smell the light scent of incense burning nearby, and the scent of many humans.

Souto no doubt.

Monks.

This had to be some sort of shrine or monastery. His sensitive ears could hear the practiced quiet footfall of those same souto walking through the building, and the hushed voices of people speaking in concern.

With a quick flex of muscles Inuyasha sat up and immediately regretted it. His every limb screamed in agony, wounds that had not yet healed opening once again. He bit back his cry of agony, only a quiet whimper escaping his clenched teeth, a hand going to the bandages wrapped around his chest. Most of his arms were also bandaged in the same clean white rags.

"Take it easy, Inuyasha." a male voice soothed as a pair of hands appeared at his shoulders to help support him. "You should not be moving just yet with the kinds of injuries you have sustained."

Gold eyes looked up and blinked in surprise.

"Miroku?"

The young Buddhist smiled, amused by the look of shock on the hanyou's face.

"Hai, though I dare say you were probably expecting to see Kami-sama and his Heavenly Court, ne?"

"Um… hai…"

"Then I will not be insulted by your surprise."

"Where am I?"

"A Shinto shrine about a day's march from the hive."

"When did you… _we_ get here?"

"Sango and I arrived late enough to have missed your epic battle with those creatures. You arrived here two days ago."

"Two days? Kaede must be going mad right about now."

"She lives?"

"Hai, so did a bunch of villagers from all around here. They're safe. What happened?"

"The creatures guarding the hive seemed to have lost their will to live and were easily dispatched, most by themselves at their own hands. The rest put up little if no resistance. Sango and I found you at the base of the well deep inside that odd hive structure."

Inuyasha stiffened abruptly in worry. He had just remembered those last few instants within the hive, shortly before the portal in the well exploded. He could still see her form lying on the ground, immobile.

"Kagome! She was stung!"

Miroku's smile became gentle and knowing.

"She is well, my friend, and alive. She is resting and recovering from her injuries in another room with Sango."

Fighting back the pain Inuyasha threw off his covers and struggled to get to his feet, his mind barely registering the feel of bandages wrapped around his legs. Thankfully, someone had left him the modesty of his pants.

Miroku gripped his shoulders to restrain him.

"You must rest, Inuyasha. You should not be moving just yet."

Inuyasha tried to shrug his hand away, rising onto wobbly legs, using his sheathed Tetsusaiga for support.

"I… have… to see… her…" he ground, taking a shaky step towards the open door.

"You will reopen your wounds if you persist!"

The hanyou faced him, gold eyes glowing fiercely with determination.

"Take me to see Kagome." he demanded.

Miroku sighed heavily, draping his hanyou friend's arm over his shoulders to support his weight and help him walk.

"You are as stubborn as always, my friend."

Inuyasha smirked as they walked.

"Keh. Try not to sound too disappointed."

They walked slowly this way down corridors that seemed far longer than they truly were to the injured hanyou. Every step caused jarring pain to shoot through Inuyasha's body, his jaw clenching hard to keep from making a sound and betray the weakness.

"How bad is she?" Inuyasha suddenly questioned, hoping to take his own mind off the pain.

"She has been unconscious the entire time." he replied quietly. "Sango has told me her wounds, the worst being the sting mark in her side, will heal if she is given the right amount of time and rest. How she managed to survive the sting is beyond understanding. From what I have heard the creatures' poison is very deadly."

Inuyasha's jaw clenched.

"Hai, it is."

"For what purpose where you inside the hive?"

"She was taken by the bugs, I went in to get her out. Who knew their queen was such an ikeike. Powerful too."

"How did you defeat her?"

"I… I changed. They hurt Kagome, stung her," He resisted the urge to beat the bouzo to a bloody pulp for the sly grin he shot him. "… and I let go of Tetsusaiga. Even in a demon rage I couldn't kill her, she was too strong. Kagome was the one who actually killed her… I think."

"Nani?"

"Hai. I guess she purified the well while the queen bug was in it. She just grabbed the bug and fell in the well with her. And then the light in it went from black to bright white. I must've changed back before everything exploded 'cause I remember seeing them fall in. The all I remember was Kagome on the ground and then I woke up here with your happy puss smiling at me."

"Hm, there must have been quite a bit of evil energy within the well at the time of purification for it to explode as you say it did. Kagome's powers have definitely grown since we have last seen her to be able to purify it."

Miroku slid aside one of the shrine's paper doors revealing the youkai exterminator, Sango, kneeling at a sleeping Kagome's side, carefully dabbing her forehead with a damp cloth to break a slight fever. Kirara's tiny feline form was curled up against Kagome's side to offer some sort of comfort and warmth. Sango raised her eyes to the newcomers, quickly scrambling to her feet to aid the houshi support Inuyasha as he walked.

"You really should've stayed in bed." she chided. "Hanyou or not, these are serious injuries. You need to rest."

He didn't answer her.

Inuyasha's eyes merely remained fixed on the young woman lying in the center of the room on a plush sleeping mat and wrapped in warm blankets so that only her head and the slender arch of her neck were visible. She seemed so pale and small at that moment that he felt his heart squeeze painfully. Part of the reason she was hurt so badly was his fault.

He had been the one to ask her to be his mate.

He had failed to protect her from the scorpions when they had attacked.

And his refusal to see the reason behind what that scorpion hanyou had said had resulted in Kagome being in this state.

Inuyasha's heart again gave a painful squeeze. He shrugged away from his friends' support, Tetsusaiga dropping to the floor forgotten as he struggled with leaden limbs to move to Kagome's side. He needed to touch her, feel the warmth of her skin and take in the sweet scent that permeated her skin to reassure himself that she truly was alive. She was just too pale and too still for his liking.

He never made it to her side, collapsing to the unforgiving floor from extreme pain and exhaustion, his world going blissfully dark and numb.

With Kirara looking on in worry, Sango and Miroku raced to their fallen friend's side, carefully turning him over to check if any of his injuries had reopened. There was some bleeding, but thankfully none of his more serious wounds were seeping any blood yet.

"You should've insisted he stay in bed." Sango chided the bouzo.

"I did. He was adamant about coming here."

Sango couldn't help but smile down at the unconscious hanyou, smoothing a few rebel locks away from his face.

"Even after so long, he cares for her still." she mused.

Tucking a long lock away she noticed a perfect semi-circle scar decorating the base of his neck. With a curious frown she gave the mark a closer inspection, noticing it was a complete circle of scars. They looked like teeth marks.

Small puncture marks.

Sango blinked and moved to Kagome's side, inspecting her shoulders as well. Miroku watched her in confusion.

"What are you looking for?"

She merely grunted.

"They were both bitten."

"Nani?"

"Something bit them both, houshi-sama, by something that didn't heal on Inuyasha despite his ability to mend wounds."

The monk pondered this news, staring long and hard at the matching marks on both his friends.

What kind of creature could have left these marks?

Why did it merely bite them and why at the base of their necks?

Why did the wound not heal completely on Inuyasha as all his other wounds usually did?

"Remind me to ask them when they are well enough."

"Hai. For now, we should get him back to his bed."

"Iie, he will merely awaken again and demand to return to Kagome's side."

He rose to his feet with a decisive expression.

"I will fetch his bedding and bring it here. I am sure they will not be adverse to sharing a room in their state."

The youkai exterminator merely nodded in agreement as Miroku left. While she waited she carefully took the cold compress from Kagome's brow, freshened it from the bowl of water lying nearby, then carefully applied it to the hanyou's brow.

"Stubborn mutt." she chided in a gentle whisper. "You have to care for yourself too, not just for the girl you love."

Miroku returned moments later, carrying the bedding materials with the help of a shrine novice. Together the two men easily lifted Inuyasha away from Kagome's side, allowing Sango a quick moment to set up a bed for the unconscious half-demon, then settled him in the center of the sleeping mat. Inuyasha didn't react to any of it. Miroku thanked the novice, then sat at Sango's side shortly after he left.

"No doubt our friends will have interesting tales to tell us when they wake." the houshi voiced softly.

"Mm, no doubt. How do you think they'll react to our news?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I suspect Inuyasha will not be surprised at all. As for Kagome, I envision shrieks of joy."

"Think so?"

"Of course. You and Kagome are such good friends I cannot see how she would not be happy for you."

He sighed heavily with an exaggerated expression of dismay.

"I, on the other hand, will simply be accused of being a lecher again."

Sango merely laughed quietly.

The dimness of waning night met her eyes as Kagome woke slowly. Through the thin walls she could see the first strains of daylight beginning to lighten the darkness of night, heralding the coming of day. She felt cold all over, her limbs feeling as heavy as lead. The side where she had been stung hurt atrociously, much the same way it did when the Shikon no Tama had been ripped from that very spot some seven years ago. Some sensations were just never forgotten. Waiting for her memories to resurface form the fog in her mind, Kagome merely lay there, staring at the ceiling blankly.

She remembered being in the hive and she shuddered.

She remembered being defended by Inuyasha.

She remembered being stung.

_That's right, I was stung_, she pondered mentally with a small frown. _Shouldn't I be dead by now?_

Her last memories consisted of clutching Akuma Sasori's waist and then that strange dream-like experience within a void.

_Was that real? _

When her mind finally caught up with her she began to hear the gentle sounds of breathing somewhere within the room. She craned her neck to look above her. Leaning against the wall in a perfect sleeping Buddha posture, was Miroku-houshi. At his side, using his lap as a pillow, was the youkai exterminator, Sango. Kirara was curled in a tight ball against Sango's stomach, sleeping just as peacefully.

Kagome allowed herself a smile.

_The cavalry… late, but at least they're here. _

Kagome lowered her eyes from them to the occupant of the sleeping mat next to hers.

There, breathing gently, though in obvious discomfort, was Inuyasha.

She could see the scrapes and scuffs still decorating his face, the bare hints of his many bandages showing at the edge of his covers. Biting her lip she carefully reached over and stroked his closest ear, caressing the softer than soft fur covering it. His ear twitched slightly beneath her touch as if surprised, his slight frown of pain melting away gratefully from the distraction. A quiet purr hummed in his chest. Gold eyes blinked open slowly and he turned his head in her direction, inadvertently pulling his ear away from her touch. Kagome easily returned the smile he gave her, contenting herself to caress his cheek with the backs of her fingers. His purr grew a little louder as his eyes closed, turning his face into her hand.

"You had me worried, Inuyasha." she whispered, trying not to wake the other occupants of the room.

He opened his eyes.

"You? Fuck, woman, I was the one who thought you were going to die."

She chuckled lightly.

"The mighty Inuyasha was worried about me?" she teased.

His expression was dead serious.

"You're my mate, of course I was."

He was rewarded by an honoured smile from the Miko.

Then, "What happened back there?"

Kagome blinked. "You don't remember?"

"Bits and pieces. What did you do?"

"I… I'm not sure that I did do anything. Akuma and I fell into the well… I remember her trying to tell me something…"

She sighed heavily in frustration.

"It's all a jumble."

He grunted. "It's alright, it's not important right now."

"Inuyasha, how did we get here?"

"Blame it on those two." and he jerked his chin in the direction of the sleeping monk and demon hunter. "They found us and brought us here."

"And where is here?"

"Some shrine a day away from the hive. They haven't let me move by myself the moment I woke up. I'm starting to feel like some fuckin' puppet."

"How long…?"

"Five days now. I was starting to wonder if you'd ever wake up."

"Five days? Oh, Kami… The others must think we're dead."

He snorted derisively, staring up at the ceiling.

"Keh. I just love their confidence in us."

His ear twitched at the sound of rustling covers. Inuyasha looked over at his mate and found she had tugged her blankets all the way up under her chin. He saw a slight tremor shake her frame, the faint sound of her teeth chattering reaching his sensitive ears.

"You cold?"

She blinked and looked at him in surprise, then sunk a little deeper under the covers, embarrassed that he had noticed. Inuyasha barely saw the light blush that tinged her cheeks.

"Um… hai, a little." she responded meekly.

He tugged his covers down a bit, enough to free an arm, and motioned for her to join him on his bed. Kagome smothered a small squeak before ducking even lower under the covers. He blinked at this in surprise. He managed to turn himself on his side without too much pain, propping himself on his elbow and peering at her intently.

"Nani? What is it?"

"I… um… I'm not… wearing much right now."

He blinked again.

"So?"

"So… ah…" and she stared at the ceiling as she searched for an answer that would make sense.

Inuyasha smirked and rested his cheek on his knuckles casually.

"Kagome."

Blue eyes turned timidly to him.

"I've seen you in less."

His eyes seemed to glow suddenly in the dim light, his smirk become roguish and confident.

"A lot less."

Her blush deepened and he chuckled, patting the bedding just in front of himself.

"Get over here."

She hesitated for a brief heartbeat, mentally debating with herself if she should join him in his bed while only in her underwear.

_Baka, go for it_, she self-argued, glancing at him.

_He's right, you made love so of course he saw all of you. You're mates, husband and wife. It's more than okay. _

Kagome set her shoulders in determination. Willing her stiffened limbs to move she rolled to her side, moving out from under her blankets with a cold induced shiver. It was just so cold in the small room, probably more so due to her lack of clothing. Part of her demanded that she ask Miroku or Sango to light a fire in the room later in the morning. She then slipped under his blanket, pressing close to Inuyasha's chest. All thoughts of the cold left her mind at the feel of his warm skin and gentle hands. It was like being home after so many long years in a frozen wasteland, home to the warmth and affection that could only be offered by a cherished one.

Inuyasha carefully tugged the covers up and over both their shoulders before cradling her close with a purring sigh. He had missed holding her, missed the feel of her skin grazing his. He hadn't realized how much time had passed until he finally held her again. Those few days could have been centuries for all he cared. He nuzzled her cheek, his purr growing in intensity, his hands traveling boldly against her back and hips as his tongue lightly flicked across her cheekbone, dipping lower to her neck.

Kagome stifled a giggle.

"Shh, you'll wake the others."

"Fuck them." he husked against her neck, nipping lightly at the mark decorating her shoulder.

To stop him from progressing any further, and to help calm her racing blood, Kagome pressed as physically possible to his chest, cautious of his many still healing wounds. She pressed her lips gently to the hollow of his throat, settling her head beneath his chin. She heard his purr shift to a slight growl of annoyance before returning to that gentle and soothing rumble. His arms tightened possessively as he nuzzled the top of her head, one of his legs thrown casually over hers to keep her from moving away.

"Oi, Kagome."

"Mm?"

She felt him smile in her hair.

"You're not allowed wearing clothes to bed anymore."

She smothered another chuckle.

"I don't really have a problem with that so long as you keep me warm at night."

"Good." he purred.

His hand slipped over her hip to come and rest on the bandage covering the only serious injury she had suffered in the hive. The pain she must have endured because of it made him wince and he inhaled her scent deeply to reassure himself that she was truly alright.

He blinked.

Sneaking in between the scent of exotic flowers and the scent was purely her own was a new odour. It wasn't repulsive and it wasn't completely alien to him either. It was ever so vaguely familiar, half-remembered and buried in the back of his mind somewhere. Inuyasha frowned as he wracked his memory for a clue as to where he had sampled this scent before.

_I know that scent… _

But no matter how far back he went in his memory he just couldn't quite place where he had experienced that scent before. A near silent gruff bark blew past his lips in slight frustration. This shift in her scent would bother him until he finally found out what it was. He figured it was due to that scorpion hanyou, but what he wanted to know was what she did to his mate to cause this change.

_That fuckin' bitch and her magic!_ he cursed. _I'll have to get Miroku to see if he can feel anything and if he can remove whatever that bug did._

He felt Kagome shift slightly against his chest, forcing his attention back down to her. A smile came easily to his lips. She had pillowed her cheek to his heart, a tiny contented grin just barely tugging up the corners of her lips as she dozed in complete security. Inuyasha nuzzled the top of her head, a deep purr rumbling in the depth of his chest.

Despite all the obstacles that had been thrown at him up to this point, despite everything else that could happen in the future, so long as Kagome was with him life was good.

Miroku blinked repeatedly in wonder at the sleeping pair before him. Ever since he had awoken later that morning he hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from the scene. Had it been any other persons sleeping there, he wouldn't have been the least bit surprised, but this was Inuyasha and Kagome. These were the only two beings he had ever known who had vehemently denied their relationship even existed no matter the weight of the proof presented, denied that any stronger feelings save friendship were present between them.

Yet here they were, snuggled together on the same sleeping mat, looking as comfortable and content as possible with Kagome's back pressed to Inuyasha's chest. His arms were wrapped tight around her and his face was buried against the back of her neck. Miroku could barely hear the soft purr-like sound that emanated from the hanyou, and there was no denying the Miko didn't mind Inuyasha's obvious affection by the small smile adorning her lips.

Neither seemed at all concerned by the distinct lack of clothing on Kagome's part, or the lack of shirts on Inuyasha's part. That alone would have been enough to earn the hanyou several loud sittings from the young Miko.

That or Inuyasha would have received a sound slap across the face and a beratement to end all beratements from Kagome.

Miroku resisted the urge to snort at the irony.

And they called him a lecher.

The bouzo returned to his contemplation of the odd pair and arched an intrigued eyebrow.

"How very interesting…" he mumbled.

"What I find interesting is how you can wake up so early in the morning." a voice slurred sleepily.

He smiled passively.

"A person can witness some of the most fascinating of sights if they wake with the sun."

Sango opened her eyes and looked up at his face in curiosity.

"What kind of sights?"

"Our two sleeping friends, to name just one."

Fighting sleep stiffened limbs, the youkai exterminator raised herself up onto her hip, wondering what the bouzo meant as she opened her eyes to the other two sleeping occupants of the room.

Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor in surprised shock.

"How…? When…? Nani!"

"Hush, Sango." Miroku hissed. "Let them sleep."

"Demo… She's practically naked…"

"Hai, I know."

"What in the Sacred Mounts is she doing in _his_ bed?" she near demanded, carefully to keep her voice down nonetheless.

"By the looks of things, she's sleeping."

Sango frowned at her companion.

"You are just far too calm about all this."

"Mm, perhaps. Or perhaps I believe this is all due to a change in their relationship that they have not discussed with us as of yet."

She blinked, looking from him to the slumbering pair and back again. She found that line of reasoning hard to believe. True, it had been painfully obvious to everyone how truly and deeply the Miko and hanyou cared for each other, but it was highly unlikely either of them would act on it. Sango was sure Inuyasha knew the rule when it came to half-breeds, that they were pretty much forbidden by law, both man's and natural, to have a mate. She also knew that he was far too proud and arrogant to let himself soften that way. Inuyasha knew far too well the consequences of taking a human mate, for himself and for the woman of his choosing. It meant she would be shunned for life, or be killed.

And Kagome…

Kagome was just as proud and stubborn as the hanyou, with a sensitive streak that pretty much ensured she wouldn't be able to take his abrasive words and behavior for very long. And she was from a world where no one believed demons existed, any more in any case. At least, that was what the Miko had explained to her.

That was a recipe for disaster in the making.

He could never be accepted in Kagome's world and she would be in constant danger for her life if she remained with Inuyasha.

And yet there was that nagging voice at the back of Sango's mind that screamed at her over and over again that it was fully possible that they had finally become a couple.

"Interesting dilemma for them, ne?" Miroku voiced softly.

Again Sango blinked, looking at him. He merely smiled at her in his ever-serene manner. She frowned in annoyance.

"I hate it when you do that."

She could see him struggle to suppress a chuckle.

"You make it so easy." he very nearly cooed.

"And you both are too loud." Inuyasha abruptly growled in the depths of Kagome's hair. "Shut up already. Let Kagome sleep."

"Too late." the Miko murmured softly as she woke. "I'm already awake."

Gold eyes glared accusingly at the youkai exterminator and the bouzo.

"Couldn't keep your yaps shut, could you?"

Still surfacing from her slumber, Kagome blindly reached back for one of his ears and gave it a gentle scratch. Her smile came easily when she heard the familiar and comforting purr of contentment rumble in his chest.

"Be nice, Inuyasha." she chided. "I'm sure they didn't mean to be so loud."

Whatever complaint he might have offered in defence was lost in the low growl against the back of her neck.

"Um… Kagome?"

"Hai, Sango?"

Blue eyes opened to the other woman and noticed the hesitant and confused expression on Sango's face. Sango couldn't find her voice to reply, merely gesturing helplessly at the duo before looking to Miroku for aid. He shrugged at a loss, no more adept in finding the appropriate words than the taiji at his side could.

"When…? Why…?" Sango finally said in a voice that was still unsure of itself.

Inuyasha managed to prop himself up on his elbow as Kagome rolled to her stomach, staying close to him to share in his body's warmth, a pillow tucked tight to her chest on which to rest her chin.

"When and why what?" Inuyasha questioned, suddenly interested in the conversation.

Hanyou and Miko stared at their friends in confusion, waiting on an answer. Again the taiji's voice left her. Her lips would move, trying to form the words she wanted to say, but the sounds refused to come out. Her mind couldn't form a proper sentence or question on the subject without sounding overly judgmental. Sango was thrilled they were so close now and, more than anything, she didn't want to say a thing that would put this newly found affection in jeopardy.

Putting two and two together, Inuyasha abruptly understood what had the taiji so tied up in knots. He rolled his eyes in mild irritation of the direction the conversation had taken. He understood the displeasure and revulsion of the humans in his time at his relationship with Kagome, but he had expected a lot more acceptance from those he had called his friends for so many years. After all, these two quite nearly threw them together at every given opportunity, tossing in thinly veiled innuendos in suggestion.

As if reading his mind, Sango straightened suddenly in guilt.

"Iie!"

Inuyasha gave her a skeptic frown. Miroku and Kagome merely watched them in silence.

Sango forced her voice to respond, swallowing hard. "Gomen ne for my reaction, Inuyasha, demo it doesn't mean is don't approve."

He remained quiet, letting her explain herself.

"It's just… it's just…"

He frowned at her, a kernel of anger wedging into his heart at what he thought she would say.

"It's just I'm hanyou."

"Iie! It's just I… I kind of came to expect you would both always stay at arms length from each other. And now, to see you like… like… well… It kind of takes a moment to grasp the meaning when you're used to seeing the opposite for so long."

Kagome bit her bottom lip, seeing her friend's point. All the time Sango and Miroku had traveled with them the only male they had ever seen sleep so close at her side had been little Shippo, and he was just a child. Inuyasha had always been up in a tree or across the campfire from her or even sitting against an opposite wall if they had been lucky enough to find a shelter.

Inuyasha snorted unexpectedly.

"Didn't think our sleeping habits were of so much interest to everyone." he griped.

Miroku's expression became knowingly sly. "They are when it involves the two of you. So, how long have you had this sleep arrangement?"

"What business is it of yours?"

"None. I am just curious as to how close you have become."

Inuyasha and Kagome gave each other a quick look, the girl blushing lightly with a small smile and the hanyou grinning arrogantly.

"Close." was all Inuyasha chose to reply.

"Which means…?" the monk prompted.

All he got was a warning growl from the half-breed and a warning glance from Sango. Kagome's blush merely deepened. She loved her friends dearly, but sometimes they pried too much into things that were just too personal to discuss.


	3. Part 3

8 September 2003

A very heartfelt arigatou to Logan Kale to all his tireless help with getting me through my walls (literally) in writing this fic. Most of this story would have never been written without your cracking of the whip, biting of my shoulder, and constant growls in the background.

If ever a better inspiration of Inuyasha existed I haven't met him yet

Domo Arigatou!!!

Souto, Houshi, Bouzo - monk ---- Kami - God ---- Otouto - younger Brother ---- Aisai - beloved wife ---- Untenshi - mate ---- Onna - woman ---- Hanshu - General ---- Aniyome -Sister-in-Law ---- Osanago - little child ---- Hanyou - half demon ---- Youkai - demon ---- Iie - no ---- Oniisan, Nii-chan - older brother ---- Onesan - older sister ---- Hai - yes ---- Onegai - please ---- Demo - but ---- Gomen nasai - forgive me ---- Gomen ne - sorry ---- Sayonara - goodbye ---- Nani - what ---- Mou - sound accompanying a pout ---- Arigatou - thanks, thank you ---- Oi, Ooi - hey ---- Ne - right, hey ---- Ohayo - hello, hi ---- Matte - wait ---- Ihyou - surprise ---- Honto - really ---- Reijin - beautiful woman ---- Shan - beautiful ---- Koi - love ---- Koishii - beloved ---- Sugoi - amazing ---- Koibito - lover ---- Anchi - disliked person ---- Aishiteru - I love you ---- Baka - idiot ---- Ja-ku - jerk ---- Jinkouteki - unnatural ---- Ikeike - bitch ---- Kokuhyou - Hell ---- Kaibutsu - monsters ---- Shimatta - damn it ---- Seppuku - suicide ---- Chikushou - damn ---- Hentai - sexual, sex obsessed ---- Oushikuso - bullshit ---- Kuso - shit ---- Teishu - master ---- Kobushi - feudal warrior ---- Domo Arigatou - thank you very much ---- Dorei - slave ---- Hi-Nezumi - fire rat ---- Haori - formal coat ---- Hakama - formal shirt ---- Taiji - exterminator, extermination ---- Hiretsukan - bastard ---- Shatei - my younger brother ---- Tanechigai - half brother ---- Ojiisan, Jii-san, Jii-chan - grandfather ---- Odoufa - spell scroll ---- Obocchan - son ---- Otome - daughter ---- Otousan, Tou-san - father ---- Okaasan, Kaa-san – mother

**Bond of Blood**

Written by : The MOUSE

Co-written by : Logan Kale

With the long sleeves of his Hi-Nezumi haori billowing in the wind around him, Inuyasha stood on the highest of the shrine's roofs and stretched his arms out as far as his muscles would allow him, taking a deep breath of the cold winter evening air. He filled his lungs until he thought they would burst, exhaling loudly in satisfaction. It felt good to finally be able to get outside, even if he was under Miroku's watchful eye. The monk would no doubt scold him for going so high up on the shrine, but Inuyasha didn't care.

He needed air and he needed to get away from his _keepers_.

Miroku and Sango were far too careful of his movements. He didn't mind their attention towards Kagome, but Inuyasha was hanyou. His wounds had healed the day after Kagome had awakened. True, his scars were fresh and still sore, but at least he didn't have to worry about them opening up unless he had to fight a warrior or youkai.

_Not much chance of that happening for a while_, he reasoned.

With all the youkai the bugs killed before they killed themselves, it's almost going to be too quiet.

"Inuyasha!" a distant voice called to him.

_Shimatta__… _

The hanyou's arms dropped to his sides with an annoyed grunt.

_Not quiet enough. _

Far below, standing in the center of the ground to be certain to be seen from the top of the shrine, stood Miroku. Inuyasha was almost certain he could see the bouzo's frown of worry and annoyance even from so far away. The hanyou would get an earful for defying his suggestion not to exert himself, though it had sounded suspiciously more like an order. And climbing this high was hardly an exertion.

"Inuyasha! Come down from there!"

Inuyasha growled, glad Miroku couldn't hear him. He would not dignify yelling back like some petulant child to the _mother hen_ he had become.

_I finally got away from you, bouzo. What the fuck makes you think I'm in a hurry to get back? _

"Don't think I'm coming up there to get you if you get stuck!"

Inuyasha smirked.

_Good. And who the fuck said I was going to let myself get stuck? I don't get stuck. _

"Get down from there!" the monk insisted.

_Fuck off, I'm staying up here_, he grinned proudly as he inhaled deeply once more.

Four walls surrounding him made him antsy.

"… Kagome…"

Inuyasha whirled around, his ears snapping forward to catch any small or distant sound. He had heard it, as clearly as if the speaker had been next to him. Someone had spoken his mate's name. He dashed to the other side of the roof and hopped down to the lower few levels, listening intently.

"… know why you want to go outside." he heard more distinctly.

Sango.

"I've been cooped up inside for too long, Sango. I need air."

His smile came unbidden.

Kagome.

He leapt down a few more levels until he was crouched on the last roof before the ground, over a door leading to a private yard. From that position he could hear the two women walking ever closer, their light steps shuffling against the wooden floor as the light of the lamp grew brighter.

"You should at least give yourself more time." he heard Sango protest. "That wound isn't healing as well as I know it should."

"It'll be alright, demo I really need to get some air. I've been breathing incense for far longer than I care for. It's making me lightheaded."

"You can sit on the steps out here, demo no more."

"Hai, hai, you don't want to stitch anything up again, I know. Kami, you'd think I was a paper doll or something."

Inuyasha smiled, smothering a chuckle. His mate was just as annoyed from all the attention their friends were giving them as he was. No one in their right mind enjoyed being fussed over constantly. It made them feel useless. He heard a rustle of thick fabric, and then a tiny pained whimper that was quickly followed by a sigh. His ears flattened back in sympathy. It was hard to hear her in so much pain when he could do nothing to alleviate it.

"So," began Sango. "… you never did tell houshi-sama or I about you and Inuyasha."

"Hai." There was an obvious smirk in her voice.

"Kagome…"

"Inuyasha answered you both already… sort of. Why is it you're so keen on knowing more?"

"Because his answer was cryptic. I will only tell you my news until I hear yours. And… and I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Annoyed at the taiji relentless questioning, Inuyasha leaned over the edge of the roof and growled at her.

"What the fuck makes you think I would willingly let her get hurt?"

Sango all but jumped in surprise at his sudden appearance while Kagome favoured the hanyou with a patient smile. She wasn't startled to find he had been listening in on the conversation. Kagome knew he was always nearby, whether he intended it or not. To her, it was the most comforting of thoughts knowing he was never really far away, always within earshot and, for him, an earshot was still quite a distance by any human standard.

She giggled lightly at the sight of Inuyasha hanging upside down over the edge of the roof. Despite his exasperated expression, the way his silver hair hung down in a long stream nearly to the ground made him look almost boyish.

How could one man be so impossibly adorable without even trying?

"Needed air too?" she questioned sweetly.

Inuyasha looked at her, noting the robes she kept wrapped around her form to block out the cold. Souto robes of gold and dull red. He nodded to himself in appreciation. Kagome could wear a burlap sack and still make it look like the finest of gowns by her brilliant presence alone.

His eyes twinkled at her, his expression softening.

"The bouzo's going to give me a holy beating when he catches up to me."

"As well he should." Sango admonished. "What are you doing up on the roof in your condition?"

"Don't you start too." he snarled.

Kagome shook her head in serene disbelief. "Sango, don't think we don't appreciate you and Miroku looking out for us after everything that happened, we know you mean well, demo…"

"Demo…?"

"Demo I'm about ready to go mad if you don't ease up already!" the hanyou answered quickly.

He froze abruptly and began sniffing the air, raising back into a crouch on the roof to look around. The look that crossed his face was one of both concern and rising anger. A new scent was approaching and approaching fast, but for the moment it was still too far away for him to get a clear read on the scent. For now, all he knew was it was someone he was familiar with.

He growled low.

He didn't like surprises like this.

Kagome saw the sudden change on his face before he pulled back out of sight. There was a kind of worry there, a look she recognized. He had sported that air before every single battle he had entered with her at his side. Kagome managed to get to her feet rather quickly and dashed into the snow, turning to see her koibito standing tall and defiant to whatever was coming.

Who or what did he smell?

"Your hanyou awareness remains as assuaged and pathetic as always, Inuyasha." a calm and smooth voice echoed behind her.

Kagome squeaked, whirling around to come face to face with the imposing Lord of the Western Lands.

"Se… Sesshaumaru…" she managed meekly.

The youkai looked at her in disdain for a brief second before frowning and gripping her chin, all in the blink of an eye.

"Get away from her, you hiretsukan!" Inuyasha roared, leaping down from the roof, prepared for a battle with his tanechigai.

Sesshaumaru didn't move from his contemplation of the Miko.

"Her scent has changed."

Inuyasha came to a skidding stop in the snow still at some distance from the pair, startled at the half-whispered comment. The elder youkai had smelled it too. Inuyasha hadn't been dreaming when he had noticed the new scent on his mate for the last two nights.

He heard Sango make a move behind him to help Kagome, but he held a hand up to her to stop her. He could feel her reluctance, but she trusted the hanyou enough to accept that he seemed to know what he was doing. The jangle of the rings on Miroku's staff reached his ears next and he repeated the restraining gesture to stop any action on the part of the monk.

"What do you smell?" Inuyasha questioned the older being.

"Much to my revulsion, you primarily. Demo there is something else there as well."

Kagome wanted to squirm under the gaze of the daunting youkai. The intensity of his gold eyes and the subtle strength of his fingers on her chin held her firmly in place. She had no idea what they were talking about.

What had changed about her scent?

Why were they so intrigued by this change?

Sesshaumaru's eyes widened marginally for the briefest second, as if momentarily taken off guard, then he made a sound akin to a grunted sigh.

"How pathetic. Even your mongrel brood will be closer to being true youkai then you, Inuyasha." and his hand dropped away suddenly.

Inuyasha blinked. "Na- nani?"

Any children Inuyasha would have with Kagome would be more youkai than hanyou?

_Then, that would mean… Kuso! _

"I was right." he breathed to himself.

He shook himself suddenly at a thought, seeing Kagome inch herself away from Sesshaumaru, casting an anxious glance at her koibito from over her shoulder. Inuyasha held out a beckoning arm to her and she all but ran to him, pressing close to his chest in relief to be away from the creature she had known as both ally and enemy.

"Why are you here?"

"Word reached my territories of a threat moving across the land. I came to stop it."

"Stop it?"

Inuyasha could barely contain his laughter. It was just so unbelievable the way the elder youkai stated it. Stop the wave of scorpion hanyou. Him, all by himself. No, laughable was just too soft, too inadequate a word to use to describe it.

"They would've made short work of you."

"I am not in the habit of fearing trash that worship hanyou. Perhaps this was an epic battle for the likes of you... but it would have been far beneath this Sesshaumaru."

Inuyasha's arm tightened on Kagome's waist.

"For your information, they took on bigger youkai than you and won. And we took care of those bugs easily! In fact, Kagome was the one who did in their queen."

"Indeed."

The hanyou frowned. It was time to end this conversation before the urge to rip out his throat got too strong.

"Was there anything else?"

Sesshaumaru paused for a moment, considering the pair.

Then, with his voice dropping to just above a bare whisper, "Is she aware of what to expect now that she is your life-mate?"

Kagome was mildly surprised he knew until she remembered what Inuyasha had told her several weeks ago. Youkai seemed to have an otherworldly sense when it came to their kind, no matter how thinned the blood became. They could tell who mated with who, when, where, and what species that mate was even if they were miles apart at the moment.

She felt a slightly twinge of fear deep within her.

That same sense had been what had enabled the youkai to find Inuyasha's Okaasan all those decades ago, insulted that one of the most powerful of their kind had mated with a human. That same youkai sense was what now made Kagome a target.

"He told me what could happen." she heard herself whisper in reply, feeling detached from her words.

"Her change may ensure they leave her be." Sesshaumaru mused softly. "If not, you must be prepared to defend her." he directed to Inuyasha.

"They won't touch her..." he growled, also keeping his voice low to have this conversation remain private.

"Hai. I suspect, at least, that you are not as epic a failure as a mate as you are a youkai."

He made a move to turn, then stopped.

"Despite my distaste of your existence, Inuyasha, I do understand your affections for these humans now."

"You? As if!"

But Kagome quickly tugged on Inuyasha's sleeve to stop any more insults on his part.

"Rin." she whispered to him.

The briefest of frowns touched Sessaumaru's features at the whisper between mates.

"Believe what you will. Merely know that if the time should ever arise, you will not be protecting her alone."

The half-breed gave him a strange look, skeptical of this offer.

"Why?"

"You are shatei and my tanechigai."

Inuyasha resisted the urge to blink in slight surprise. The silver-haired youkai had never once referred to him as anything so remote as a brother. Yet here he was calling him little brother and half brother.

"The right is mine alone to kill you at the time of my choosing." Sesshaumaru continued. "That time has not yet come."

"Keh. You're just all heart."

Sarcasm dripped from Inuyasha's words.

The barest of grins curled the corners of the youkai's lips.

"I know."

Then, in the mere blink of an eye, he was gone. With a heavy sigh, Kagome let her shoulders droop out of their tense bunching. She had been certain there was going to be more trouble, but wasn't about to complain now that she had been proven wrong. She braced a hand against her injured side to still the throbbing she felt from it.

"Just enough to put us on edge." she whispered, more to herself.

An angered rumble sounded in the hanyou's chest.

"Next time he shows up like that he won't be able to walk away so easily."

In an almost subconscious move she reached up and gently scratched him behind an ear in an effort to calm him. The move was second nature to her now, knowing how sensitive they were to touch. A soft scratch was often all it took to change his mood from stark raving mad to gentle puppy-ness.

True enough, the moment he felt her fingers brush the base of his ears, the angered rumble dipped a few octaves to a low purr, his eyes closing as he tilted his head down to her touch.

"Inuyasha?"

He half-grunted, half-purred.

"What did he mean about my scent having changed?"

He snorted derisively.

"Sure, ask me something like that when I'm enjoying myself here."

She smirked.

"It's the only way I know to have your undivided attention."

"Keh."

"Demo, what did he mean?"

He sighed gruffly.

"He meant it changed." was his simple reply.

"Changed how?"

"It's not…"

He paused and looked at her seriously.

"You don't smell human anymore."

"Nani?"

"Then I was not mistaken in what I have felt." Miroku voiced as he and Sango approached the pair.

The Miko's brows furrowed marginally. "You knew too?"

"Suspected, only. I was waiting to have more proof that this change was not merely a figment of my imagination or some magical trickery."

She blinked.

"Magic?"

She stomped a foot in the snow in growing frustration.

"Someone tell me what the hell is going on!" and she winced from the move, her hands flattening to her side in pain.

Inuyasha's hands covered her own in worry, a chiding growl rumbling in his throat as he moved in close to her side.

"Easy, Koi. I don't want you re-opening that wound."

"Then tell me what's going on."

"I wouldn't mind knowing what all this is about myself." Sango piped in, an eyebrow arching at the hanyou's pet name for the Miko.

Inuyasha went tense suddenly, looking up at the darkening sky as if he abruptly remembered something.

"In the morning."

Sango near pouted, once again thwarted in her attempts to get more on the pair's relationship.

"Why not now?"

He frowned at her sternly.

"In the morning." he repeated slowly, an air of finality to his tone.

"The encounter with Sesshaumaru has put you on edge, my friend?" Miroku thought to question.

"Iie, it's not that." and he cast another look at the sky.

Kagome gazed at his features for a long few seconds before a moment of clarity invaded her senses.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in realization.

They looked at her quizzically and she merely smiled in an enigmatic fashion.

"We tend to lose track of the time." was all she offered as an explanation.

Night hung heavy and quiet over the monastery, those within somehow finding a perverse comfort in knowing a powerful and potentially dangerous youkai was out in the surrounding wilds and protecting the shrine from other youkai. Although no one quite understood his reasons for doing such a thing, nearly all were confident enough to truly relax and sleep deeply if not for one night.

Even Inuyasha felt more at ease with that thought… sort of.

Although the larger part that decided Sesshaumaru was the fact that he kind of respected Kagome enough to want to help protect her, there was an ulterior reason for the Lord of the Western Lands to offer his protection at that moment and he knew it.

That reason: to have the pleasure of killing the hanyou with his own hands.

Sitting against the wall of the small room, Inuyasha sighed heavily, a hand going to the healing scars on his chest when they stretched painfully from the breath. He kept his eyes closed, his muted senses attuned to everything around him. He hated this time of month. Tonight, more than ever, he was vulnerable if his dear Oniisan decided tonight would be his last night alive. None of Inuyasha's senses worked right. It was as if someone blocked his nose and stuffed cotton into his ears. Not to mention that he was defenceless as well.

No claws.

No fangs.

Tetsusaiga wouldn't work.

He rubbed his scars absently.

_I might as well be a cripple. _

He wouldn't even be able to properly defend his Kagome if he had to. For one, if a youkai attacked he would easily be killed before the morning light could make him hanyou again. Second, he was still healing.

"Do they hurt?" a timid voice asked through the silence.

His eyes opened slowly, near black meeting slate blue amidst a play of shadows and lamp light. Kagome was lying on her stomach on her bedding, wrapped tightly in thick blankets and the robes she had been supplied in an effort to keep warm. She was staring at him intently with curiosity and worry.

"Nani?"

"Your scars. You're human now. Do they hurt?"

A tiny grin turned up the corner of his lip at the concern her saw on her face, and he shook his head in a negative.

"It's not so bad, Kagome." he murmured.

Relief flitted across her features before she simply paused and stared at him as if in wonder. Inuyasha blinked at her.

"Nani?"

She blinked out of her contemplation.

"Oh, gomen ne, Inuyasha. It… it's just…" She smirked. "After all the times I've seen this happen, I still can't get over how different you look."

He, too, smirked and tugged a lock of his now black hair.

"Nani, my being human is freaking you out?"

"Iie, not really. It's just… different."

"Different… Hai, I guess it is at that. Which do you like best?"

"Does it matter? Youkai, hanyou, human… you're still Inuyasha. It's who you are that I love, not what you are."

He looked at the floor with a shy smile. With words alone, she could often turn his insides to cotton. Inuyasha had long ago learned to fight it, but Kagome had somehow managed to make him forget how to stop a blush before it showed. At the sound of shifting fabric he looked up to see Kagome kneeling up and then move towards him. Before he could protest her moving with her injuries she settled herself in his lap, her head nestled under his chin and her arms around his chest. Inuyasha froze for a second before wrapping her in his arms, smiling down at her warmly.

"What's this for?" he questioned softly.

"You were too far away." she murmured, closing her eyes contentedly.

A small chuckle sounded in his throat.

"I was just across the room from you."

"Still too far."

He nuzzled her hair in amusement before they both settled into a comfortable silence.

Then, "Kagome?"

"Mm?"

"You never did tell me why you stayed away for so long and why you came back to me."

She considered his words for a heartbeat.

"Mama wouldn't let me."

"Why?"

"When I got home way back when she saw all the cuts and bruises I got from that last battle. I guess she got scared. I guess she didn't want to risk letting me come back and get hurt again or worse."

He growled as best he could as a human, his arms tightening around her.

"Doesn't she know I would never let anything get close enough to hurt you that way if I could help it?"

"Hai, I think she does, demo I also think she didn't want to risk even a fluke happening. Okaasans are like that, they're always terrified for their children. Some more than others. I hear Otousans can be the same too."

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, demo what made you come back?"

"It hurt too much being away."

"Hurt?"

"I was missing everyone here, you most of all, too much to continue staying away."

Her arms tightened around him.

"I needed to be with you again."

He could only stare at her in complete awe for the longest moment before crushing her close, cuddling her to his heart in comfort and adoration. It had been a secret fear of his, that she had forgotten about him with the time spent in her world. He had been afraid that she had sought out that weakling, Hojo, to assuage her pain and loneliness.

But she hadn't.

Kagome had stayed faithful, if not subconsciously. Part of him had known her heart belonged to him. Now he was absolutely certain.

Fate and Kami had made her just for him.

He swallowed hard.

"I needed you too." he whispered in her hair.

Her arms tightened some more, painful against his still healing injuries, but he didn't care about the pain too much so long as he had his Kagome in his arms.

He sighed a smile.

_His_ Kagome.

He must have pleased some god or goddess out there somewhere to have been granted that immense blessing.

Then, "Speaking of changes…"

"Nani?"

"Did you notice a difference in Miroku and Sango?"

"Difference? Like what?"

"How much closer they seem now, how his hand doesn't seem to wander as much anymore…"

She frowned a bit and nodded.

"Now that you mention it. Why do you ask?"

"Because I smelled something different on them also. His scent is all over her, just like hers is all over him."

She chuckled lightly.

"About time."

He, too, chuckled.

"Agreed."

"I bet that's the news Sango has been dying to tell me all this time. Demo her condition is we tell her what's changed between us before she tells us anything."

He groaned.

"I sense a long conversation when that time comes. I'm just surprised they agreed to leave us alone tonight."

Inuyasha looked down in time to see her stifle a yawn behind her hand. He cuddled her closer carefully.

"If you're tired you should go to sleep."

She rubbed her cheek to his heart.

"Can't sleep anymore when you're not there."

"Oh?" and he arched an inquisitive eyebrow.

Her eyes disappeared behind her hair as she lowered her head a bit in embarrassment. But he would not let the subject just die there, crooking a finger under her chin to force her to look up at him.

"Why can't you sleep when I'm not there?"

"I… I just can't."

"Kagome…"

"I…"

He chuckled softly at the feel of her whole body warming from a deep blush.

"Mou… I… I miss… I miss feeling your teeth." she finally blurted, her hand unconsciously going to the mark she sported on her shoulder, the mark he had given her.

"Ah."

His chuckle grew a little louder as he gently nuzzled a spot behind her ear.

"You miss this." and he lightly nipped at the same spot.

Kagome couldn't hold back her gasp even if she had wanted to, a wholly pleasant shiver racing through her body. This merely caused his laughter to grow. Recovering, she frowned at him and lightly slapped his chest.

"Mou, don't laugh at me."

"Wouldn't dream of it, Koi." yet laughter was still present in his voice.

She sighed abruptly.

"Are you ever going to tell me what Sesshaumaru meant earlier, about my scent having changed?"

He too sighed, his expression falling at the change in mood. He had been hoping for a relatively quiet night with his mate, their first night alone together as a bonded pair during his monthly change. Truth be known, he had almost been looking forward to it to be able to experiment a little.

But she had a right to know something that so obviously affected and involved her.

"I should tell you first, before we get cornered by the happy new couple."

Inuyasha paused in consideration of his words.

"That bug queen… What did you call her?"

"Akuma."

"Hai, Akuma… I think she did something to you when you fell into the well."

"Did something?"

"Hai... some spell or something. She changed you. You smell sort of like a hanyou now."

She blinked and pulled back to stare at him.

"Nani? I… I smell like a hanyou?"

Inuyasha merely nodded. He had to chuckle when she stared at her hands and arms as if she could see this change. She blinked at him in confusion, making her look so painfully adorable that he smiled easily.

"You can't see a scent, Kagome." he told her matter-of-factly, lightly tapping her nose.

"Mou, demo what did she do to me?"

He could only shrug.

Kagome steepled her fingers before her in deep thought. The answer was buried in her fuzzy memories of after she fell into the well with Akuma. It had to be there. The hanyou had told her something, or had tried to tell her something. Her eyes shut tight.

Perhaps if she dug deep enough in her memories…

_Time and destiny will not tear apart those two souls which I have ultimately chosen to favour._

Her eyes flew open with a gasp, startling Inuyasha.

"Nani? What's wrong?" he demanded.

Kagome's eyes were wide as her hand went to cover her own mouth.

"Oh, dear Kami, she didn't!"

"Nani? She didn't what? What did she do? Dammit, Kagome!"

He gripped her arms to force her to look at him.

"What did Akuma do to you?"

"Time and destiny will not tear apart those two souls which I have ultimately chosen to favour." she murmured.

"Nani?"

"It's what she told me… when we were in the well. I think…"

She looked at her hands for a brief moment, a slow smile appearing on her lips as the implications sunk in. Kagome couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled forth, her hands covering her mouth in an attempt to sober herself.

Never alone…

Inuyasha gave her a strange look.

"Kagome?"

"She gave me a gift." she abruptly blurted with a bright grin.

He blinked rapidly, a flash of understanding firing off in his mind.

"You're…"

She giggled at his confusion.

He slowly shook his head, still not quite understanding or believing what she was implying.

His Kagome…

Dear, sweet, beautiful Kagome was now…?

By what miracle…

"Demo… why?" was all he could say.

"She was hanyou too, Inuyasha. She knew how long you would live, that you would outlive me. She knew how much it would hurt to be alone because she lived her entire life alone. I think she didn't want you to feel what she felt."

She caressed his cheek tenderly.

"I know I didn't want you to be alone and I think, somehow, she knew that."

Again he blinked quickly, his mind beginning to fathom what this meant.

"So she did this…"

Kagome nodded.

"Absolution."

A small grin was fighting hard with his shock to spread across his face.

"And now you'll live…" he stated carefully, more to himself.

She smothered a giggle.

A strange look passed over his face for a fleeting second, too quickly for her to determine the emotion behind it. She barely heard the soft growl before she was flattened to her back with Inuyasha looming above her. Unfortunately, she was caught so off-guard by his lunge that she didn't have the time to brace herself, her head smacking hard to the bamboo floors with a loud thwack.

"Ow!" she groaned, cradling the new bump, unable to stop herself from laughing nonetheless.

Genuine remorse covered his face for a moment, his hands braced on her either side, then confusion replaced the look. He was wondering what was so funny to her at that moment to be laughing. Kagome saw his puzzlement and managed to regain her breath enough to speak.

"Relief. It's relief." she panted between fits.

"Relief for what?"

She sobered enough to touch his cheek.

"For knowing that you won't be alone…"

He blinked, then smiled in understanding.

"Oh. Gomen ne about your head."

"It's nothing."

"Honto?"

"Hai."

A wide grin plastered itself across his face.

"Good! Now where was I?" and he buried his face into the crook of her neck with an almost feral growl.

Kagome stifled her shriek as best she good, letting out a squeak of surprise anyway as she began laughing breathlessly, her skin warming from the insistent nips and licks he was tracing along the arch of her neck. She gripped his sleeves and tugged him closer to herself when his hands began tracing her curves through her clothing. A throaty chuckle escaped her lips.

"If this is how you react to this news I wonder how you'll react when I tell you I'm expecting."

He froze above her, pulling back to stare down at her in shock. She bit her lip and favoured him with a patient and apologetic smile.

"Iie, not yet."

Disappointment flitted across his features before being replaced by a purely roguish grin, his hands tugging at the ties of her robes.

"I like that word." he purred.

Her hands returned the favour, tugging loose the many folds of his haori and hakama.

"What word?"

"Yet."

Time seemed to stop, drawing out the moment of release for what seemed an eternity before finally releasing the lovers to enjoy the aftershocks of the experience. They panted hard, desperate for air, hands caressing moist skin and threading through damp hair lovingly.

Inuyasha suddenly sighed heavily.

"Shimatta…" he breathed.

Kagome blinked, then turned her head slightly to look at him.

"Nani?"

He gave her a coy smirk.

"My human form has absolutely no stamina to start that over again."

She blinked repeatedly for a moment, then chuckled warmly.

"You can make it up to yourself in the morning."

The semblance of a purr rumbled in his chest, his arms wrapping comfortably around her lithe form, his cheek rubbing to hers tenderly.

"You just might regret that, Aisai."

He could hear the smile in her voice.

"Never. Aishiteru."

Inuyasha's arms tightened and he stared at the ceiling somberly. Part of him desperately wanted to return the voiced affection, to shout it from rooftop and treetop for the whole world to hear. He wanted his mate to know just how deeply he cared for her, to tell her everything she made him feel in his heart and soul. He knew she needed to hear it. From what he had heard in the village and from conversations about the fairer sex with Miroku, human females needed to know how their mates felt. They needed to hear them return their affection from time to time.

But showing and voicing feelings was all new.

Too new.

He felt more than saw her drift off into a much contented sleep. Being careful not to wake her up he shifted to be able to stand, rather awkwardly as he tried to keep Kagome pressed to his chest. Silent as only he could be he slipped under the covers of their shared bedding, lying so the dozing Miko was on top of him still. Inuyasha let his hand toy in her hair in a tender caress, lost in his own thoughts. He abruptly set his jaw as the decision came to him.

He would tell her what she meant to him.

He just had to figure out how.

With the sun high in the sky, the winter's cold had let up for the moment in favour of a Spring-like warmth. Ice and snow melted from the shrine roofs, filling the air with the gentle drip and trickle of water falling to snow or exposed ground below. Contemplative of all these calm sights and sounds, Miroku walked along one of the shrine's many walkways, smiling every so often at the miracles of Kami upon the earth. He stopped at a spot near one of the numerous frozen reflecting pools and merely stood there, still, quiet, introspective.

Moments of peace such as this were always welcome to the warrior monk. He had spent too many years battling youkai and misguided armies. Respites were an accepted change of pace.

_I know Sango and Kagome are enjoying this peace_, he mused silently.

A frown marred his features.

_Now why can't Inuyasha just sit still for more than a breath? _

He sighed to himself and continued on his way to the pavilion the shrine monks had given to the quartet for their stay. As he drew nearer he could hear the familiar sounds of Sango going through her daily katas, honing her skills as a youkai exterminator. Her sense of duty to her long dead clan was admirable and Miroku had long ago vowed to respect it no matter what.

He turned the corner in time to see Sango's weapon make short work of several wooden pillars before return docilely, yet powerfully, to her hand. Sitting on the short steps leading up to the pavilion, Kirara sitting up in her lap rather proudly, Kagome clapped in awe.

The hanyou was nowhere in sight.

Miroku sighed again in slight frustration. Following the half-demon around to keep him from re-opening his wounds was almost futile seeing as he had the uncanny ability to completely disappear from sight within the blink of an eye. Keeping his outwardly appearance calm and composed, the monk made his way slowly to Kagome's side. He stood there a moment, certain she had noticed his presence, and watched Sango launch her weapon at another set of wooden pillars.

"Inuyasha is not here?" he questioned absently.

Kagome's eyes never left the practicing exterminator.

"Iie, he went hunting this morning. He should be back soon."

Miroku's eyes widened in concern.

"Hunting? In his condition?"

"Hai. The food here is good and all, but sometimes you need something a little… heartier."

"He'll re-open his injuries. No doubt he is too far away for us to get to him in time if that does happen, or if he gets himself in trouble."

Kagome smiled gently, almost whimsically.

"He's not far."

"He told you where he was going?"

"Iie."

"Then how do you know how far he is?"

"Because I'm never far away." Inuyasha abruptly voiced from behind him.

Had it not been for his years of tireless training in self-control, the young monk truly believed he would have jumped out of his skin in surprise. Standing there in a purely arrogant pose was the hanyou in question.

Miroku frowned at him in chiding.

"If you disappear like that again I will simply have to seal you away in a room until I am satisfied you are completely healed. I swear, you are like a child sometimes."

"Keh, you get locked away and see how you like it." and he absently licked at his claws.

"I trust you had a good hunt, though."

"Iie. The bugs scared away most of the good prey. Barely any large enough critters left around here to pick your teeth with."

Kagome offered him a sympathetic smile.

"The hunting was better back home, ne?"

"Hai. At least there I had a choice of something bigger than a mouse."

Sango approached them at that moment, a confused expression on her features, Kirara leaping into her arms with effortless ease.

"You said home, Kagome. You mean your time?"

"Iie." Inuyasha answered for her. "She means the castle we've all been living in these last few weeks."

The monk nodded to himself silently in a decision.

"I believe now as is as good a time as any to discuss all the changes that have occurred since Kagome's return."

Inuyasha groaned. There was the long conversation he was dreading to have. He couldn't understand why everyone had to know everything at every moment of the day. It wasn't enough that they saw it happen or saw a person, they had to get every last detail until there was nothing left to know.

_Humans!_ he self-growled in annoyance.

A small hand slipped into his. Kagome gave it a gentle tug to have him sit near her, having felt his reluctance to speak about new developments. He held the past bottled up so tightly, afraid to let it out in case someone found a way to use it against him.

She knew him so well.

He hated to appear weak, to even be weak.

Inuyasha crouched close behind his mate, his chest to her back, growling softly at what would soon be said. She knew his growl and glare would last the entire conversation unless she did something.

Kagome smirked and reached up to gently scratch one of his ears. It had the desired calming effect, his chin dropping to her shoulder, his eyes closing as he purred his contentment. She continued toying with his ear, placing a tender kiss on his temple. His lip curled in an attempt at a snarl, but he failed miserably, enjoying himself far too much to make a case out of her tiny show of affection.

Sango chuckled lightly.

"You have him wrapped around your little finger."

Inuyasha wuffed in an attempt to shut her up, again failing.

"So I take this to mean that, earlier, when you said you were closer, you actually meant you were openly affectionate now, ne? Um… aside from not being concerned about being nude in each other's presence."

"Closer." the hanyou muttered, his arms snaking around the Miko's waist.

Miroku and Sango gave their friends a puzzled look, to which Kagome giggled as she continued to toy with the hanyou's sensitive ears. The monk managed to blink out of his confusion to stare at the young Miko questioningly.

"Kagome…?"

She smiled enigmatically at him and settled herself back comfortably against Inuyasha who cuddled her warmly, titling his head into her touch to allow her to continue lavishing attention to his ears. Miroku straightened as realization began to sink in, his jaw dropping just enough to show his surprise in the matter.

"Well…?" Sango prompted impatiently, not having noticed the monk's expression.

Kagome's smile became almost timid.

"I'm Inuyasha's mate." she voiced softly, a hint of loving adoration sneaking into her tone.

Sango felt as if her jaw had hit the floor. The words played over and over in her mind as she attempted to fully understand what it was Kagome had just said, what those words truly implied. Suddenly, those three simple words explained everything, from their open affection to the matching marks both of them sported. Sango berated herself for not having figured it out before.

The shock remained written plainly on her face.

Cracking open an eye at the abrupt silence, Inuyasha noticed the looks his friends were giving them. He grunted, reluctantly pulling his ears away from his mate's touch to raise his head, offering a fixed stare at both Sango and Miroku before cracking a coy smirk.

"Don't look so shocked, we just followed _your_ example."

Sango gasped a deep blush as Miroku hunched in on himself shyly, also blushing. Hoping to cool the burning in her cheeks, the youkai exterminator covered them with her hands.

"You… you knew…?" she asked meekly.

Inuyasha snorted.

"You smell like each other. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what that means."

If it was possible Sango's blush deepened as Miroku blinked in stunned silence, recovering slightly to clear his throat in embarrassment. Both had forgotten about the hanyou's well-developed sense of smell. After having spent so many years with him they had gotten so used to him just knowing about people and their activities.

Kagome giggled at them.

"I can only say it's about time you two finally got together."

Miroku's expression became placid, if not sly, his posture taking on a classic meditating Buddha pose.

"The same could be said about you both. We almost believed you would pine away for each from afar for the rest of your natural lives."

"Keh, from the horse's mouth…"

He frowned unexpectedly, releasing his hold on Kagome to close the distance between himself and the taiji. Sango leaned away from him, as confused as her friends about the hanyou's reason to begin sniffing at her. Inuyasha blinked and sat back on his haunches.

"Does he know yet?" he asked her, motioning to Miroku with his chin.

Sango bit her lip nervously, to which Inuyasha grunted and returned to his place at Kagome's side.

"Guess not."

"Inuyasha?" Kagome queried softly. "What is it?"

He cast a quick glance to Sango for confirmation that voicing the secret he had discovered was alright with her. She merely nodded, urging him to go ahead.

"You know that line the bouzo used on women? The one about bearing his child?"

"Hai."

He grinned. "He won't have to use it again for a while."

"Nani-"

Kagome's mouth dropped open, her head snapping around to gape at Sango. She squealed and launched herself at her long-time friend, hugging her tight in happiness.

Miroku merely sat there, dumbfounded, his head spinning.

"I'm…?" but he couldn't finish his question to the hanyou, a goofy grin plastering across his face.

Inuyasha felt like laughing at him. For once, the usually composed and wordy monk was reduced to nothing more than a simpering idiot who couldn't babble more than two coherent words together.

"Otou-ou-ou-san." he jabbed verbally.

Miroku didn't seem to notice the tease, turning to Sango who was laughing in giddy joy with the young Miko. She blushed at the shining wonder in his eyes. Sango had hoped Miroku wouldn't be angry with her for having withheld this news for so long. She was annoyed with herself for her lack of trust in his love for her. He had once told her that it was near impossible for him to ever be mad at her.

"You're not showing yet, which means this will be a summer birth, ne?" Kagome bubbled. "I'm so happy for you, Sango."

She beamed proudly, then smirked tauntingly at the girl she considered a member of her family.

"Can we expect a playmate for our child from the two of you?"

A light blush touched the Miko's cheeks as she smiled shyly at Inuyasha. He returned her grin in arrogant confidence, causing her blush to deepen. The hanyou chuckled with pride.

"I don't think our having pups will be too much of a wait." he assured almost lazily.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome hissed in shock.

He failed to suppress his chuckle, gazing at her both fondly and confidently. She pouted against her own rising laughter, playfully swiping at his leg.

"Hentai." she accused.

"Keh. I have five years to make up for, woman."

"You don't have to make up for it all at once, you know. We actually have plenty of time ahead of us to plan for children." she told her friends as she turned away from her mate.

"Ah, so we are having more that one pup?" Inuyasha continued, his smile broadening coyly.

Kagome wrinkled her nose at him. "At your rate, we'll have enough children to take over the country."

He smirked. "Maybe in fifty or so years."

Miroku shook his head. "Kagome will be much too old then to bear more children, Inuyasha."

Kagome hunched her shoulders. "Um, actually…"

The monk stared at her for the longest time as if he were sizing her up while Sango blinked in confusion.

"This has something to do with the change in your scent, ne?" the taiji finally found the courage to ask over the silence.

The Miko merely nodded.

"What did Inuyasha and Sesshaumaru smell?"

Kagome tugged at the sleeve of her robe nervously, considering how she was going to break this news to her friends.

Inuyasha sat by silently, understanding that she needed to tell them what happened. Besides, she was better at explaining things than he was. They stood a better chance of understanding why things were now as they were if she calmly and carefully explained everything as only she could.

The young Miko swallowed hard. "What… what changed in my scent is… is that I'm… not completely human… anymore." and she looked up at her friends slowly, meekly.

Sango blinked quickly in an attempt to recover from her shock.

"Not… human…?"

Higurashi Kagome sighed blissfully as she settled herself comfortably on the mattress, arms stretched out at her sides. It had taken nearly a day in the thick snow to trek back to the castle from the shrine. Probably it would have taken less time had Miroku and Sango not insisted on taking an ox-drawn cart along for the journey. Their reasoning had been that if either she or Inuyasha got too tired from walking with injuries, they could just hop on the cart. The hanyou had scoffed at the idea that his wounds bothered him, but he had agreed to the cart merely for Kagome's sake.

The trip had been uneventful. The four had spoken of trivial things, of the past, and of things they hoped would come in the future. But most of the time was filled with a companionable silence.

Kagome had found it heartwarming how easily they had all dropped back into their friendships as if no time at all had passed.

Kagome was shocked when she saw the castle. No trace remained of the scorpion hanyou, something Kaede had explained. The wolf youkai had refused to let their festering bodies stay where they lay, dragging them well beyond the castle walls and burying them in a deep mass grave.

The welcome they had received at the castle was beyond anything she had imagined. All the villagers had turned out to greet the returning travelers, pleased beyond belief that Kagome and Inuyasha were still alive after so long. Even Kouga seemed relieved to see the dog hanyou. The celebrations had lasted well into the night, everyone thrilled beyond compare that peace had once again returned to the land.

"If you continue to think so much you'll get all wrinkly." a voice teased gently from nearby.

She opened her eyes to find Inuyasha peering down at her from above her head. Kagome smiled at him, reaching up slightly to toy with a lock of his hair.

"I won't have to worry about wrinkles for a good long time, remember?"

He chuckled, kissing her brow, then sitting to have his back against the bed's headboard.

"Hai, hai, I remember. Good thoughts, though?"

"Of course. I also realize we have a few decisions to make… well… maybe four at most."

"Nani? What decisions?"

"Now that the scorpion hanyou are all gone, where are we going to live? I heard the villagers talking about going back to Musashi and rebuilding the village."

"Mm, they can do that."

"And us?"

He cocked his head to one side. "Can't we stay here?"

A slow smile appeared on her lips as she warmed to the suggestion. "Hai, I guess we could. I have absolutely nothing against living in a castle… so long as you don't expect me to clean the place."

"Now why would I ask you to do a thing like that?" he chuckled.

"You warmed up to this place after all, ne, Inuyasha?"

He shrugged absently, looking around the room. All the decades he had spent avoiding his childhood home because of the memories he had of his Jii-san, a man he had always believed had hated him and his Okaasan. Kagome had dispelled those thoughts, proved to him that the old daimyo had not been the evil man he had thought him to be. Her warmth and bright spirit had filled every dark space the castle may have held.

He sighed a small smile.

"You were right, Kagome."

"Nani?"

"You said we would chase away all the old ghosts from this place, that we would fill this place with happy memories. You were right."

Kagome moved closer to him and lightly warmed his lips with her own.

"This is our home now." she whispered softly. "A home should always be a happy place."

The barest of smirks curled his lips.

Then, "You said we had four decisions to make. What are the other three?"

She near giggled softly, a light blush touching her cheeks. He blinked, curious as to the reason for the color to rise to her cheeks.

"Nani?" he probed.

She bit her lip, bolstering her resolve.

"How soon do you want to have children, how many to start, and do you want an Obocchan or an Otome first?" she stated quickly, a bright smile plastered on her face.

He blinked once.

Twice.

A chuckle began to shake his frame.

The chuckle became a laugh.

He sighed contently when he had reigned in his laughter.

"My Aisai." and he tenderly nuzzled her cheek.

"Aishiteru." he breathed.

Kagome's breath locked in her throat in surprise. Happy tears sprung to her eyes and she valiantly fought against them to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. She embraced him tight, her lips meshed to his as her heart soared.

Who knew that one word could make even the darkest night seem like midday?

He left her lips to gently nuzzle the base of her jaw, dipping lower to trace the arch of her neck to his mark on her shoulder. Inuyasha smiled when he felt her tremble slightly as he nipped the permanent scar. Someday soon he would have a family, a real family that didn't care if they were human, half-breed, or full youkai.

Life was good.

"Aisai…" he purred against her skin.

Kagome smirked, nuzzling his ear.

"Is that your new pet name for me?"

"Until the day I die." he husked, then smirked. "Aisai."

She giggled lightly. "You are just too sweet sometimes."

"Keh, repeat that to anyone and I'll deny it."

"I wouldn't expect anything less."

Kaede would forever remember the last few days spent at the castle as bittersweet ones.

Sweet because both Inuyasha and Kagome had returned alive and safe, if not just a little injured and accompanied by the youkai exterminator and the young Buddhist monk. It was such a heartwarming sight to see the once brash hanyou being so tender and attentive to the strange girl from the future. Despite his own still healing injuries he made it a point to see that her every whim was attended to, whether she voiced them or not.

Bitter because the pair would not be joining the villagers on their return to Musashi Country. It seemed that during the small group's journey to Inuyasha's childhood home, the four had decided that the castle was as good as any place to live out the rest of their days and it was large enough to raise both of their families. She would never voice it, but Kaede would miss the four terribly. Kagome had no doubt sensed this, despite the old woman's attempts to hide it, and promised to visit the new village they would build as often as possible.

Kouga had been a surprise on the day the villagers prepared to leave.

He had boldly strode up to Inuyasha and Kagome and made a vow to them both that he would have his pack patrol the area surrounding the new village, to protect it from future attacks. The hanyou had been too shocked by the wolf youkai's offer to come up with a response, though Kagome's bright smile of gratitude had seemed to be more than enough thanks for Kouga.

"You are sure you four will be alright here?" Kaede asked yet again of her friends.

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh, that's the fifth time you've asked that this morning, Baba."

"I cannot help but worry."

"We'll be fine." Kagome assured patiently. "Besides, if we have any trouble, the village is only a few hanyou hops away."

The old Miko had to chuckle at that.

"Miroku will use some of his odoufa to keep unwanted youkai out." Kagome continued. "And Inuyasha has Tetsusaiga if anything makes it by those spells. I can't see how any youkai can get to us with those kinds of defences. Also, the villagers for miles around think this place is cursed, so I doubt very much anyone will try to come here and cause trouble."

Kaede gave her a strange look as she shifted her pack on her shoulder.

"You are merely saying all these things to alleviate my fears for you."

"Maybe." she grinned.

She smiled. "You are a good child, Kagome. Once you are all properly re-settled here you simply must come for a visit. I wish to see your child when he or she is born, Sango-sama!" she called over her shoulder to the taiji.

Sango blushed in the middle of loading some bags onto a departing cart. She then smiled at the aged Miko, bowed quickly, then raced off to help another cartload of travelers. Calling over one of the village boys to lean on for support as she walked, Kaede bid her farewells to the couple before her and then set out of the snow covered road leading back to her birth land.

Cresting a hill, the boy looked back over his shoulder and set his jaw.

"I'm going to honour them." he voiced.

"Nani? What are you talking about, Chiisai?"

"Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama. They saved us, demo no one ever gives them more than an arigatou."

"Hai, that is true."

"Well, I'm going to make sure everyone remembers what they did for us."

"Honto ne? How?"

"I'm going to build a shrine in their honour."

"A shrine? A mighty undertaking, Chiisai."

"Maybe, demo it'll be worth it. I'll build it around the Hone Kui no Ido. Someday I'll make it big enough so that the Go-Shin-Boku will be in it too."

"Gracious, child, it will take you years to build it, even with the help of the villagers."

He almost looked defeated at this.

"Demo, they will help me, ne?" he questioned with some trepidation.

She smirked. "Of course. I will see to it."

He smiled brightly. "Arigatou, Kaede-sama!"

"Tell me, now. Have you thought of a name for this mighty shrine?"

"Hai… um… Did Kagome-sama ever tell you her full name?"

"Hai."

"Onegai, what is it?"

"Higurashi Kagome."

"Higurashi… Hai… I'll call the shrine Higurashi in her honor. I'll preserve the entire glade where they met, Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama."

Kaede chuckled lightly. "I am sure they will simply love the idea, Chiisai."

"Honto ne?"

"Hai, I'm almost certain of it."

In the company of good friends and deeply cherished ones, time can fly by so fast one often feels that if they blink they could miss entire seasons.

That was how Inuyasha felt with his mate and friends within the walls of his new home. One moment they had all been in the grips of a deep and frigid winter, the next moment the snow had melted away to reveal flowers and grasses anxious to reach for the Sun. That early thaw had given him the perfect excuse to begin repairing the castle's outer battlements. The scorpion beasts had done a lot of damage to the walls, leaving many areas open for future attacks.

And there was no way he was going to leave himself or his mate open to any more attacks. Once was more than enough.

Repairing all the damage had taken a lot longer than the hanyou had expected though. What he had hoped would last only a few days had turned into a full-blown project spanning a few months. Both he and Miroku had fashioned makeshift cranes to help them lift some of the heavier stones back into place. Some were far too heavy for even the powerful hanyou to lift. And the encroaching summer's heat made the work gruelling, easily tiring the pair long before they normally would. But Inuyasha would not be stopped from ensuring his mate's safety. She was his world, his one weakness, and he wouldn't let anyone near enough hurt her in any way.

Thankfully, this was the last wall to repair.

Winding the rope around his forearm, the hanyou pulled with all his might to lift the largest of the stones to the right level. Standing on the edge of the breach, Miroku guided the stone into place, carefully nudging it over to have it fall snugly into the spot they had prepared for it. Feeling the rope finally grow slack in his hands, Inuyasha let himself relax, straightening and wiping away a thin film of sweat that had formed on his brow with the back of his hand.

A few more smaller stones and it would all be done.

"I'd call you Bob Villa, demo the reference would be lost on you." Kagome quipped as she approached her hanyou koibito.

"Keh. Bet whoever he is couldn't do half as good a job as us."

"Especially since his forte is more houses than castles. How does it look?" and she handed him a bamboo canteen filled with water.

He took a long drink before answering.

"I figure maybe two more days and that's it. It'd take an army of dragons to knock it down again."

She nodded a pleased smile, watching him easily toss the canteen up to Miroku.

"Just in time to make sure Sango's baby will be born safe." she voiced.

He snorted.

"I'm doing this for you and our pups more than for Sango and the bouzo."

"Honto?"

"Hai! No human or youkai, dead or alive, is going to harm one hair on any of you. Not if I can help it."

"You know, you can be really over-protective sometimes, demo I wouldn't change that for the world."

"Keh, part of my charm." he smirked arrogantly.

This won a light giggle from Kagome. Then, "By the way, I have some interesting news for you."

Inuyasha blinked.

"News?"

For the life of him he couldn't figure out what she might have to say. After all, she spent every waking moment either in Sango's company or with him, and she slept at his side every night. There wasn't much happening within the castle that he didn't know about.

Kagome saw the confused frown forming on his face and giggled with some trepidation.

How would he react?

Still unsure, she reached over and closed slender fingers around his wrist. He let her guide his hands as he watched her carefully, still trying to determine what her news could be. It was still a mystery…

… until she laid his hand flat to her abdomen.

He blinked once.

Twice.

Three times as he felt the bottom slip out from his stomach.

Inuyasha could only stare at her stomach beneath his hand for the longest moment. When he finally met her eyes he saw nervousness, joy, and apprehension all swirling within the slate of her eyes.

"You're…?" he heard himself say, oddly detached from his words.

She nodded, her bottom lip becoming wedged between her teeth. She nearly missed the ecstatic smile that plastered itself to his face so much he moved so fast to wrap her in his arms for a crushing embrace. But there was no missing the giddy laugh that shook his frame. Her tension melted away at that and from his gentle nuzzling of her throat. She had been so afraid of his reaction, not sure how youkai or hanyou usually reacted to news about their first child. Part of her was terrified that his feral side would reject her; that it was too soon.

_I can be such a baka sometimes_, she self berated.

He pulled back to see her face.

"How long…?"

"I suspected… demo I'm absolutely sure now. Three months."

Inuyasha laid a hand to her stomach in awe and wonder.

"Three months…" Then, staring at her in pure adoration, "Kagome…"

A bright smile illuminated her face and she giggled.

"You're going to be an Otousan."

Surprising everyone within earshot, the hanyou howled his elation to the sky, scooping up his mate to twirl around with her in his arms.

Definitely, life was good.

Looking up from his work tending to a small patch of bamboo, an old Shinto monk noticed a weary group of travelers just entering the enceinte of the shrine, looking around in wonder and thinly veiled awe. He smiled in wry amusement. It always amazed him how awestruck people got when they saw his shrine rising up from the lush green glade, nestled amidst a dense forest. He straightened from his task with a groan, muttering how the many decades had not been kind to him as he would have liked.

"Demo, I'm not complaining, Kami-sama." he continued to mutter as he hobbled towards the travelers. "Iie, I would never do that. I merely wished your load had been a little lighter on these old bones."

He paused to straighten, his back cracking loudly from the move, and then he approached the travelers.

"Welcome to our humble shrine, noble travelers." he greeted merrily. "I am Somatsu, the shrine elder. From whence to you hail?"

"From the South." one of the younger strangers replied. "Our Lords sent us this way to scout out possible sites for a vast city they wish to build."

"A vast city, ne? Your Lords sound as ambitious as Chiisai-sama had been all those years ago."

"Chiisai-sama?"

"The builder of this shrine. He was but a boy when he began his task. Those of the villages nearby join in soon after when they learned of his reasons. Demo, this is a story for later. Come. You are wary. Come rest in one of the guest pavilions."

"Arigatou, Somatsu-sama."

The aging monk led the group of a dozen or so towards the quaint pavilions and spent most of the early afternoon helping them settle to rest. Through what scant information these men were willing to give, Somatsu learned that this group's Lords lived in the most southern tip of the country, a land of stifling hot summer seasons and generously mild winters. These Lords had recently agreed to a tentative peace if a suitable neutral ground could be found where a great city would be built. It seemed the Emperor had granted the title of Shogun to one of his warriors, Tokugawa Ieyasu, for a victory in the Battle of Sekigahara, defeating Ishida Mitsunari's army from the West and bringing almost all of the land under the Emperor's control. Not even Oda Nobunaga or Toyotomi Hideyoshi, great daimyos in their own right, had been able to achieve such a feat despite their own victories. This new city would house the Shogun's extended families with their servants and serve as a reminder to themselves and to others that peace was possible after numerous years of bitter wars while the Emperor himself would remain in Kyoto.

A shogunate… Incredible!

The travelers' young leader, Sagasu, was the Obocchan of one of these Lords under the Shogun. By what Somatsu observed, he was a cunning young man. Very reserved in his ways, he came off as almost overly cautious when one could clearly see the sense of duty he harbored shining in his black eyes. He treated his men well, making sure they had all they needed before tending to himself.

Somatsu nodded to himself.

He would make a fine governor for this new city.

"Somatsu-sama?"

"Hai?"

"You had started telling us about the history of this shrine. I am curious to know more."

Somatsu chuckled.

"Hai, young Lord. Onegai, sit. Enjoy your meal and sake while I tell you the tale."

He paused long enough to wait until they were all comfortably seated around him in the pavilion's open doorway before he began.

"This is still a fairly new shrine, barely some hundred years now."

"Only?" one of the men marvelled. "Demo it's so huge!"

"Hai, it is. It shows the love of the people who built it. This place was built only a few shorts days after an epic battle against scorpion beasts led by an evil hanyou queen."

"I remember that story." another man piped up. "They numbered as many as the stars in the sky and had armour stronger than the hardest steel or stone."

"Hai. Demo they were defeated by only two individuals: a strange, dark-haired young Miko with blue eyes and her hanyou mate, a silver-haired half-dog demon. You mention the names of Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama anywhere in these lands and you will hear one hundred and one tales of their adventures and the people they saved. Young Chiisai-sama felt the need to properly thank the pair for saving him and his family. He felt we owed them more than words. For what I've heard they did, I have to agree."

He took a short break to go around the room lighting small lanterns.

"So he built this place." another traveler asked, hoping he would continue.

"Hai. An old Miko from a nearby village, Kaede-sama, encouraged all those of able body to help him. Kaede-sama is buried on the shrine grounds in gratitude to her dedication to see this project completed. She was a kind old woman, everyone saw her as a member of their family even if there were no blood ties. It took Chiisai-sama three decades to build up this shrine to what you see today. He had sworn that one day the walls would encompass both the Hone Kui no Ido and the Shin-Go-Boku, both important items in the lives of Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama. It is said that, long ago, Inuyasha-sama had been sealed by a Miko, to the Shin-Go-Boku, for trying to steal the Shikon no Tama from her. Five decades passed before Kagome-sama emerged from the Hone Kui no Ido."

"She was made from the youkai bones thrown into it? She was Miko-youkai?"

"Iie. Story has it she is from our future and the well is the path to her time, demo only she and the hanyou may cross through this gate. Some say it was because Kami-sama had destined for them to be together no matter the time while others say it was because of their connection to the Shikon no Tama. In any case,… Kagome-sama was being chased by a youkai who felt she then possessed the Shikon no Tama. To save herself she freed Inuyasha-sama who easily took care of the youkai. Story has it that a few days later the jewel was shattered when they tried to take it away from a carrion crow and they had to recover the pieces. When all the pieces were finally put back together, Kagome-sama returned to her world. She returned five years later to find our lands overrun by the scorpion men."

Somatsu paused dramatically, sipping slowly from his sake.

"Reunited with her beloved Inuyasha-sama they saved what people they could and took them to a cursed castle where they would be safe. That castle still stands at a few days march from here, near the coast. They then went after the hanyou queen while a pack of wolf youkai protected their charges. Together, Kagome-sama and Inuyasha-sama defeated the hanyou queen and her legions of scorpion men in a glorious battle of evil versus righteousness, nearly losing their own lives in the process. Chiisai-sama built this place in their honour and called it the Higurashi Shrine."

A woman's voice chuckled softly in the darkness outside.

"You always make that story sound so formal and legendary, Somatsu-sama."

All eyes turned to the door to find a new group of ten gathered there. The men of this group all stood tall with stated pride. The few women stood with the grace and power of amazons. All were hooded, their faces hidden. The men wore bright colors of red, green and blue while the women's colors were darker versions of the same shades.

Somatsu frowned at the newcomers, lost for a moment.

"Don't recognize us, bouzo?" one of the hooded men questioned, the one in bright red.

The monk stiffened, smiling in recognition.

"Ah, my friends! Come, come, sit down after your long journey. Is it that time of year already? How time flies in the service of Kami-sama."

"That or it just seems to because you're becoming senile, bouzo."

One of the women, dressed in dark blue, elbowed the speaker in the ribs in chiding as the ten sat at some distance from the first group of arrivals.

"Tsk, be nice. You would've forgotten too if I hadn't reminded you this morning."

"The fuck I would've, woman, what with all those little hints you've been dropping all week."

"A girl is allowed to make sure."

One could almost see the radiant and playful smile piercing through the hood of her cloak.

"You make a pilgrimage here every year?" Sagasu questioned of the strangers.

"Hai."

"So you've heard this story from Somatsu often enough. A little fanciful, ne? I mean, stories of youkai; a girl from the future; a hanyou helping a Miko and falling in love with her; armies of giant scorpion men… pure fantasy."

There was a pause from the newcomers where Sagasu swore he could feel them frowning at him.

"What makes this story so hard to believe?" the woman questioned.

"Well, for one, a Miko would never ally herself with a hanyou. A woman of such purity would never let herself be touched by such a lowly creature."

Low growled seemed to erupt throughout the room. The man Sagasu identified as the group's leader, along with the woman at his side, turned to each member of his group and a bark-like sound, almost like a sharp clearing of a throat, from him silenced the growls. The eight bowed their heads to their leader, each muttering _gomen__ nasai, Otousan_ low under their breaths.

Sagasu frowned.

Otousan?

"Anything else that makes this story a work of fiction?" the lead woman continued.

Sagasu blinked, recovering from the event only moments before.

"I have never heard of a magic or object powerful enough to traverse time."

"And because you have never heard of it, then it's possible?"

"I am the Obocchan of a powerful daimyo."

"And that means that in your twenty or so years you've heard of absolutely everything?"

"… iie."

"Don't be so quick to judge things just because you've never heard about them. I did once, a long time ago. It caused me a lot of pain which I later learned was for nothing."

One of Sagasu's men chuckled. "Women are such ignorant creatures so the folly of one shouldn't be taken as a warning."

He statement got a laugh from those traveling with him…

… a laugh which abruptly died when one of the newcomers sprang forward at an amazing speed and pinned him by the throat to the wall.

His hood had fallen back to reveal silvery white hair, tiny pointed ears atop his head, and gleaming fangs bared in a snarl. A clawed hand was held before the captive's face in menace as green eyes bore into the man's very soul.

"Speak with respect when you talk about my Okaasan!" he hissed.

Sagasu blinked as he stared at this being.

"… I--… Inuyasha-sama?"

The newcomers' leader sighed heavily.

"Iie, actually this is my Obocchan, Musha."

He pushed his own hood back to reveal featured that attested to the lineage: shock silver hair and pointed ears atop his head. His gold eyes frowned at the younger creature.

"Musha, much as I agree with you for this…"

As if hearing the threat in his Otousan's voice, Musha released the human and backed away. The patriarch cuffed him lightly upside the head in chiding.

"Gomen nasai, Otousan."

"Nah, you just got to him before I did."

"You have to forgive our Obocchan." the women apologized. "He really is a good boy, if not a lot like his Otousan use to be."

"Keh, I was never that bad."

"Hai, you most certainly were that bad."

"The fuck I was!"

"Oh, how many times have I wished I had my video camera just to prove to you now how you were back then. Musha is your spitting image, get used to it."

He growled in annoyance.

"I was never that bad." he muttered.

"You… you're all hanyou?" Sagasu wondered aloud.

Seven hoods were pushed back to reveal sets of golden green eyes staring at the humans. Somastu stood to interpose himself between both groups.

"Onegai, Sagasu, these are good friends of our shrine. They come to honour the memory of the Lady Kaede and others who have passed on. They are harmless."

"Unless rubbed the wrong way." one dark haired hanyou girl added.

"Ah, Ibara, still as brash as ever, I see." Somatsu chuckled. "Kigai has been asking about you."

She blushed visibly. "Ho- honto?"

"Hai. He's in the prayer hall cleaning the alter, I believe."

She turned to the still hooded woman in the group. "Okaasan, may I…?"

The woman chuckled.

"Go. And behave."

"Arigatou, Okaasan!" and she took off like a shot for the shrine's main temple.

The woman chuckled to the hanyou leader at her side.

"What do you think Miroku and Sango would say if they knew Kigai was courting a woman twice his age and your Otome?"

The leader gave an air of deep thought.

"Sango would probably give his Okaasan a lecture, then repeat that lecture to him."

He broke into a wide grin abruptly.

"The bouzo would just say way to go."

"Baka." she accused.

Sagasu shook his head as he and his men watched the group of hanyou in some distrust. None had ever seen one before, or been this close to one before. Yet now, here they were, in the presence of now nine hanyou, ten when the girl would return.

"You… you've visited this shrine every year?" he questioned when his voice returned.

"Since it was built." the lead hanyou replied.

"Then,… the stories tied to this place… are true?"

"Hai, very much so, though not as romanticized as Somatsu makes them out to be." the women answered.

"Oh?"

"Mm, we didn't go after the scorpion hanyou because of a good versus evil thing. Akuma Sasori had me kidnapped. Inuyasha came to rescue me. Killing Akuma was more of a secondary thing."

The travelers from the South felt their jaws begin to touch the floor. Could it be possible…?

"You… you're… you were…?"

"Hai."

"Then…" and Sagasu pointed to the hanyou.

"Don't point, pup, it's not polite." this one smirked.

The Sun struggled to rise over the distant mountains, a white mist hanging on the air as the land began to warm to the early morning. Only nocturnal animals seeking dens for the coming day and a small group of travelers were up and about in the early hours. Of this group, only one lone woman looked human compared to her companions. This one stopped at the top of a high hill and turned back to the shrine nestled in the glade so far below. It looked eerie, nearly ominous all shrouded in the mists. She sighed softly, feeling the warm presence of her mate close behind her.

"It's been a hundred years… Do you think it was safe letting anyone know we're still alive?"

"Safe enough. Almost everyone knows how long hanyou live."

"Demo no one knew about me except Sango and Miroku and their descendants."

"Keh, let them try anything. You have an entire pack to protect you now."

She smiled whimsically. "Hai, who all have their Otousan's attitude."

"Not necessarily a bad thing."

One of the younger hanyou females of the small group approached the duo and stared at the shrine as well.

"Those travelers have a pretty ambitious plan for this area, if they choose it." she voiced.

The human looked at her quizzically.

"Plan, Nobara? What plan?"

"From what I heard, they were sent to scout out the location of a city to uphold some sort of truce signed in the South. They're thinking of building it here."

The human blinked.

"A city… They didn't say what the name of it would be?"

"Hai. I think it was Edo or Edyo… or something like that."

Again the woman blinked, startled this time, as was the hanyou male at her side.

"Edo?" she questioned the girl to be sure she had heard right.

"Hai. I wonder if they'll leave the shrine and build around it."

The woman began to smile slowly.

"I'm absolutely sure they will."

The hanyou male wrapped his arms around his mate and held her close as they gazed down at the glade. Through a play of mind and mist they could almost see tall towers of steel and concrete rising high in the sky all around the shrine.

"Full circle, Kagome." the hanyou rumbled softly.

"Hai, Inuyasha." she replied. "Full circle."

**THE END**


End file.
